Men’s Soccer Takes First Two Games in Convincing Fashion

Travelling to Boston for its first match of the year, Amherst men’s soccer faced off against Wentworth Institute of Technology in a nonconference matchup before its NESCAC opener against Bowdoin.

Doing the lion’s share of their damage in the first half of the contests, the Mammoths jumped out to an early 5-0 lead by halftime against Wentworth. Six different players scored goals for Amherst, German Giammattei ’22 scoring two.

The player of the game, however, would prove to be Dane Lind ’20 who registered a goal and three assists in the rout.

Amherst outshot the Wentworth Leopards 32-3, with the Mammoths managing to place an astounding 18 of those shots on goal in what was the most sizable and impressive offensive outburst for the men’s soccer team since 2010.

Michael Stone ’21 and Bernie White ’22 combined for the shutout.

After winning its first game of the season, Amherst was looking to build on its historic start and was able to do so in a tight victory against Bowdoin. For the fifth consecutive year, the Amherst’s men’s soccer team dominated its first NESCAC game of the season, defeating the Polar Bears 1-0 in Brunswick, Maine.

“Every NESCAC game is a battle and today was no different,” head coach Justin Serpone said. “History told us it was likely going to be decided by a set piece and that’s exactly what happened… Bowdoin is a good team and I’m sure we’ll see them again. What I liked about today is that for the second game in a row, everyone contributed to the win. It’s hard to win games and we’re going to need all 25 guys brining that sort of energy all season.”

The game was played at a fast pace from the opening kick-off and the Mammoths and Polar Bears fought for every pass, shot and minute of possession. The game proved physical and fast, with only one goal scored but 31 fouls committed by the two physical sides. The Mammoths managed to notch a total of 17 fouls during the duration of the game, whereas the Polar Bears comitted only 14.

With only a little over 14 minutes remaining in the first half, Amherst won a free kick 35-yards out from the Bowdoin goal. Lind opted for a quick restart, passing the ball inside the box to Luke Nguyen ’19, who managed to chip a shot over the goalkeeper’s head before being tackled to the grass. Despite the collision, the ball sailed into the back of the net for the sole goal of the game.

With a 1-0 lead in hand, the Mammoths turned their attention to the defensive side of the ball and maintaining the slim advantage. With less than 22 minutes remaining, Bowdoin won a corner kick, which the Polar Bears’ Harry Cooper redirected right on target. However, Stone managed to get a punch to the ball, preserving the Amherst lead. Bowdoin’s Moctar Niang was able to put the ball into the back of the net with his head after, but the score was rendered invalid due to a foul called on the Polar Bears prior to Niang’s chance.

The Mammoths’ determination was clearly evident, as the defense only allowed the single shot on goal, while the Mammoths’ offense managed six total attempts on target, forcing the Bowdoin keeper into a string of fine saves.

Amherst now stands at 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in conference, a solid start to the season. Next up, the Mammoths will travel to Vermont to take on Middlebury at noon on Saturday, Sept. 15.