The Roundup: All The Sports You Missed This Week — Dec. 4

Men’s HockeyThe Mammoths had five games over the Thanksgiving recess, which began with a tandem of NESCAC matchups on the opening Saturday and Sunday. Amherst fell short of triumphing over Trinity and Wesleyan, losing 2-1 and 4-1, respectively. Christian Powers ’23 scored his debut goal in the loss to Trinity, and Connor Merrill ’23 also chipped in his first gino against Wesleyan. The team turned its luck around on Tuesday, winning 2-0 against Saint Michaels’ College before a holiday reces

Women’s Soccer Ends Season After Defeat to Dickinson

The women’s soccer team finished the season with a NESCAC Championship but the bitter feeling of an early exit from the NCAA DIII Tournament after the team lost to Dickenson College, the second-place finishers in the Centennial Conference on Sunday, Nov. 17. The second-round loss follows a dominant 5-0 victory over Maine Maritime College in the first round. The contest opened with the characteristic tension of a playoff game. Dickinson, to their credit, played to their strengths from the openin

The Roundup: All The Stuff You Missed This Week — Nov. 20

Women’s Hockey:The Mammoths kicked off the season with back-to-back duels against Hamilton on Friday and Saturday. Kate Pohl ’23 scored her first goal in purple and white in the first period to open the scoring, and Jillian Mazzocca ’23 put one past the goalie a minute into the second period. Despite the success of these first years, who played in the first and second lines in their inaugural games, Hamilton battled back to win 3-2 in the final 20 minutes of play. On Saturday, Amherst and Hamilt

Women’s Ice Hockey Builds on Successful 18/19 Season

On Friday, the women’s hockey team will return to home ice for the first time since a heartbreaking loss in the NESCAC Semifinal against Williams last March. In what will be a long and grueling season, the Mammoths will build on a fantastic 2018 campaign, one in which they went 8-6 in conference and 13-11 overall. Requisite to their success this season is the return of a central core and the emergence of young talent. Eliza Laycock ’20 and Anne Malloy ’20 will lead the team as captains in atta

Volleyball Stumbles in NESCAC Quarterfinals

This weekend, the volleyball team traveled to Chase Gymnasium in Medford, Massassachusets ,to face down the Middlebury Panthers in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament. The Firedogs, seeded fourth, were the favorites in the match against the fifth-seeded Panthers, despite a rough patch of form in the weeks leading up to the tournament. Coming off a 3-0 away win over Williams, however, one would think that the Mammoths had begun to peak at the right time. Middlebury, however, came out of the

Women’s Soccer Scores Overtime Win Against Hamilton

There is something qualitatively different about single-elimination soccer tournaments from a run-of-the-mill, regular game. The NESCAC Championship tournament is no exception. In league play, an unlucky day can be brushed aside — but in the tournament, a bad day can easily turn into a frustrating eight-month hiatus until the season begins again. The Amherst women’s team came into their quarterfinal match on a five-game win streak in which they conceded no goals, despite the loss of star goali

Racism in Italian Soccer: Balotelli, Lukaku and Radical Ultras

One of European soccer’s brightest talents and enigmatic figures, Mario Balotelli, had an eventful Saturday. The striker — now playing for Brescia after stints at Manchester City, both Inter and A.C. Milan, Liverpool and Nice — was dribbling toward his opponents’ end line, when he perceived that the Hellas Verona fan sections were chanting racial abuse at him. He scooped the ball up with his hands, in the middle of live play, and punted the ball into the stands. He then marched for the exit. It

Volleyball Secures a Rivalry Win and Beats Hamilton

After hitting a rough patch Homecoming weekend, the volleyball team righted the ship Friday and Saturday with not a moment to lose, with the NESCAC Tournament fast approaching. The weekend started out when Amherst traveled to Hamilton, New York, to take on the Continentals. The Firedogs got off to a hot start after Emily Kolsky ’20 got the kill, then served two aces to put Amherst up 7-3. Hamilton battled back and stole enough points to level the score at 11-11. Crucial kills from Charlotte

The Roundup: All the Stuff You Missed In Sports This Week — Oct. 30

Field Hockey:After taking down Colby in an upset victory last weekend, Amherst traveled to face Bates this Saturday. Sage Geyer ’22 broke down the Bobcats’ defense when she scored on a redirect from a penalty corner. Bates responded at the end of the first quarter to tie the game, but Amherst struck back as time wound down in the second corner to put the Mammoths in the lead headed into halftime. The second half, however, was dominated by Bates, who in addition to dominating possession and earni

Football Defeated in Double Overtime Thriller

Homecoming is a special time here at Amherst College. For a short, 48-hour stretch, every student’s stress, concerns and responsibilities get put on the back burner to celebrate in purple and white. Graduates, both recent and distant, flock back to their stomping grounds to soak up some nostalgia. At the centerpiece of this joyous celebration of all things Amherst, is, of course, the football game. This past weekend, the 4-2 Mammoths hosted the 5-1 Wesleyan Cardinals for a clash of Little Three

Coder Parses Problems, Not Just Algorithms

When Nicholaus Mollel ’10 landed in America for the first time, an Amherst upperclassman drove him to campus from the airport for International Student Orientation, a program that takes place a week prior to First-Year Orientation. Amherst had been nothing more than a word on a page for Mollel until he saw the campus in its August greenery. “Liberal arts” was a term alien to the pedagogy of his home in Moshi, Tanzania, where practicality and pre-professionalism reigned, but it was one that exc

The Roundup: All the Stuff You Missed In Sports This Week — Oct. 9

Volleyball:Amherst won both of its matches this weekend in straight sets. On Friday, the Firedogs smashed UMass Boston. The Beacons only came within six points of Amherst in the first set — otherwise the Firedogs were untouchable. Jamie Dailey ’21 had a team-high 12 kills and .259 hitting percentage over the match. On Saturday, Amherst traveled to Hartford to face Trinity in a NESCAC matchup, which the Firedogs handled with ease, keeping their perfect record in the NESCAC. Emily Kolsky ’20 had 1

Women’s Golf Takes Second Place at Williams Invitational

This weekend, the women’s golf team traveled up north to the Berkshires to compete in the Williams Invitational against top talent from the NESCAC and the region. Surrounded by the picturesque Taconic Mountains, Amherst battled two squads of Ephs, perennial powerhouses Wellesley College and other players in a team event. Like most of the team’s fall competitions, the Williams Invitational was a two-day event. Isabelle Ouyang ’21 finished day one in high spirits, as the junior carded a 77, a so

The Roundup: All the Stuff You Missed In Sports This Week — Oct. 2

Volleyball:The Firedogs ran over Middlebury in straight sets on Friday night. Although Middlebury was undefeated in the NESCAC and up early in the first set, Amherst battled back to sweep the Panthers handily. Sophie Launsbach ’22 led the team with three service aces and 14 kills, a game-high record for her. On Saturday, Amherst hosted the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. The Trailblazers stole the first set, but Amherst responded by taking the next three sets, each with margins of victory

New Bill Prompts Discussion of Athlete Payment

On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom appeared on LeBron James’ HBO barbershop-talk show “The Shop.” Newsom, himself a former college baseball player and University of California Regent, went on James’ show to sign Senate Bill 206. The bill, which passed the California State Assembly 72-0, allows college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness. This is a dramatic step in the recent history of paying college athletes. This past May, the NCAA announced a working group to consider

Men’s Soccer, Still Undefeated, Beats Williams

With an impressive, undefeated start to the season, the men’s soccer team had high hopes for a weekend doubleheader against NESCAC foes Williams and Middlebury. After last Saturday’s tie with nationally-ranked Connecticut College, Amherst is ranked No. 2, just behind the defending national champions, Tufts, in the United Soccer Coaches rankings. The NESCAC, especially this year, remains a turbulent, exciting conference with parity that makes every match worth watching. When the Mammoths tra

The Roundup: All The Stuff You Missed In Sports This Week — Sept. 25

Men’s Soccer:After trouncing the Merchant Marine Academy 5-0 on Wednesday night, the men’s soccer team matched up against the No. 15 Connecticut College Camels on Saturday afternoon. The Mammoths went down early in the first half when a Camel free kick whipped into the box, deflected off the outstretched mitts of keeper Bernie White ’22 and toward a waiting Conn College attacker, who buried it in the net. The scoreline held until the last minutes of the game when, with just 76 seconds remainin

Volleyball Sweeps NESCAC Opponents on Difficult Maine Swing

The volleyball team came away from their Maine road trip this weekend with an unblemished NESCAC record, despite two difficult matches against Colby and Bates. The weekend kicked off Friday night in Lewiston, where the Firedogs battled Bates. Bates and Amherst were both undefeated six games into the season, and the Mammoths had only dropped a single set all season in an earlier win over Emerson College. Bates, from the opening serve, however, challenged the Firedogs. Although the Mammoths won

The Roundup: All the Stuff You Missed In Sports This Week — Sept. 18

Volleyball:This weekend, the Firedogs took down Clark on Friday and Worcester State and Brandeis on Saturday in quick sucession. Across the three matchups, the team failed to drop a single set and remains undefeated this season. Field Hockey:Last week started on a high note for the Mammoths, who shelled Keene State in a Wednesday night matchup, 8-0. On Saturday, however, Amherst traveled to Clinton, New York, where they faced Hamilton in a crucial NESCAC matchup. It was too little, too late fo

Defense Key to Women’s Soccer’s Perfect Record

The women’s soccer team has had an impressive start to the season, keeping a perfect record and making statement NESCAC wins, like this weekend’s 1-0 triumph over Hamilton College. What is arguably more impressive, however, is that through the first four matchups, the Mammoths have yet to concede a goal. Given the Mammoths’ style and caliber of play, this is not surprising, but several key factor are primarily responsible for their defensive success. The first and most efficient key cog is the

What to Watch at the 2019 Rugby World Cup

The Rugby World Cup is coming up, and I’m here to convince you to brave the brutal 13-hour time difference with Japan for a reason you might not expect: the Georgian national rugby team. The Georgians’ rugby jerseys are emblazoned with a simple vine down the back. That vine comes from a tradition in which warriors of the Black Sea nation strapped vines to their backs before battle, so if they were to perish, their bodies would nourish the vine as it decomposed. This acceptance of the brutality

Haugh-t Corner: Crystal Palace

This is my moment to shout from the rooftops in delight before things come collapsing back down to earth. Four games in, Crystal Palace Football Club sits in fourth place in the Barclays Premier League in a coveted Champions League Qualification spot — for now. I have been a Crystal Palace fan through and through since I attended a match at Selhurst Park as a young child, and this success should not happen. Following the Eagles is supposed to be a melancholy experience. Palace has spent the pa

The Roundup: All The Stuff You Missed In Sports This Week — Sept. 11

Men’s Golf:This weekend, the men’s golf team had its opening tournament, the Detrick Invitational, at the Indian Hill Golf Course in Newington, Connecticut. Will Lonquist ’20 finished third individually with a two-day score of 145. The team finished on Sunday just one stroke below Tufts, edging the Jumbos out to take third place in the ten-team field. Field Hockey:After driving down Route 116 to beat Mount Holyoke 5-1 on Wednesday night, the Mammoths faced off against NESCAC foe Bowdoin over th

Duos to Keep an Eye on This Fall

This summer felt entirely devoid of quality buddy-cop or hero-sidekick movies (looking at you “Hobbes and Shaw,” even as a “Fast & Furious” superfan). Jason Statham and The Rock could not cook up enough gritty, showstopping synergy for me, so let’s consider the top partners-in-crime for Amherst this fall. *Tennis’ Class of 2022 *At the start of last autumn, if you had asked me which team’s recruiting class would have had the most immediate impact, I would have gotten the answer wrong, since t

A Statistical Perspective on the Volleyball Team's Future

Last year, the Firedogs went 22-5 overall and 8-2 in the NESCAC, where they lost in the finals of the tournament. This season, they return all but two players. I want to know if the Mammoths can easily replace outside hitter Lauren Reppert ’19 and defensive specialist Hayes Honea ’19 this season. The way to do that is to calculate Wins Above Replacement (WAR). This is a metric which attempts to capture the overall worth of a given player in terms of wins the team would lose or gain if the play

Fall Sports Preview

We’re in the business of making bold predictions. Our aim is not to incite, but rather to enable, you, the passing observer, with the ability to accurately talk about an Amherst sports team. Perhaps it is just to a casual acquaintance or to your uncle who played football in college and always asks you about Amherst’s team. Men’s SoccerHead coach Justin Serpone’s team is always a physical force of nature in the NESCAC. His philosophy emphasizes discipline and defensive stability in favor of po

A “Busybody” With a Critical Eye

You know exactly where you stand with Renai Foster — her eyes betray her. Her side-eye glare can freeze you to the core, but despite her deadpan expression, they betray her humor. Foster’s eyes serve as a way to understand her earnest relationship to the community. It’s clear to everyone who interacts with her that she is a crucial member of any group because of her earnest sensibility. But the most crucial component to understanding Foster is her dedication to Amherst. I took “Qualitative Rese

Haugh-t Takes: Israel Folau

In sporting news that many at Amherst definitely missed, Rugby Australia recently revoked the contract of star player Israel Folau. His firing from the national team for purely conduct-related reasons sparks questions about the intersections of sports and politics, and provokes questions as to how we view the role of sports and athletes in popular culture. Before his firing can be examined, though, Folau himself must be understood, if only to get a greater understanding as to why this firing sho

Men’s Swim & Dive Places Ninth at NCAAs

This past weekend, Amherst crowned seven All Americans at the DIII National Championships. On day one at the bustling Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro North Carolina, Scott Romeyn ’22 competed in the 50-yard freestyle race. In his preliminary swim, Romeyn finished eighth with a time of 20.26 seconds, a finish just fast enough to book him a spot in the finals later in the day. In that race, Romeyn bettered his time by about a tenth of a second, which catapulted him to touch the wall two

Ruderman ’21 Captures Two Diving Titles at Nationals

Most everyone expected a national champion to be crowned at Amherst this winter, but many observers probably would have put their bets on the women’s basketball team. An informed observer, however, would have noted the meteoric rise of an athlete, who in her own right has become as dominant as any of women’s basketball Head Coach G. P. Gromacki’s squads: Lindsey Ruderman ’21. Ruderman claimed both individual diving national titles at the DIII Championships this past weekend, in the one-meter an

Men’s Basketball Exits NCAA Tournament Loss to Nichols College

Despite the home court advantage, the men’s basketball team found itself fighting an uphill battle in the stands and on the court during its Sweet Sixteen matchup against the Nichols College Bison. The Nichols fans quickly swallowed their section of the stands with green and black, along with the unregulated section and the majority of Amherst’s student section. From the tip-off, the game turned into an intense battle. Most of the Bison’s offensive possessions involved either a complete isolat

Men’s Hockey Defeated After Epic Semifinal Win

After an impressive 10-3-3 record in the NESCAC this season, the men’s hockey team entered the NESCAC Championships as dark horses to claim the league title. Cruising past Colby 5-0 in the first round of the tournament, Amherst traveled to Hartford, Connecticut to face off against Wesleyan in the semifinals. The strength of the Wesleyan squad came from its netminder, Tim Sestak. Entering the game, the junior had been a standout on the Cardinals’ squad. He averaged 1.58 goals against throughou

Men’s Basketball Set to Clash with Rival Williams in NESCAC Semifinal Match

Men’s basketball will travel to Clinton, New York on Feb 24 to face Williams. The matchup will feature not only the animosity between bitter enemies, but also some of the best basketball that the NESCAC has to offer. Although the Mammoths are seeded third, ahead of the fourth-seeded Ephs, the clash of two disciplined teams surely bodes well for spectators of all persuasions. Amherst plays exciting, energetic basketball, indicative of the team’s youth. The core of the team’s offensive arsenal is

Athlete of the Issue: Kaitlin Hoang '21

Managing Sports Editor Connor Haugh sat down with Kaitlin Hoang ’21, center for the women’s hockey team, who has seven goals and nine assists so far this season. Here are the highlights: The Student (TS): What’s your favorite team pre-game ritual? Kaitlin Hoang (KH): A couple of us play volleyball before the game in the locker room. We try to see how many times we can keep the ball in the air. TS: What’s the best moment of the season thus far? KH: Beating Norwhich was a really nice high poin

Women’s Swim and Dive Ties MIT in Rare Scoreline

This weekend, the women’s swim and dive team continued their excellent performance with a win over Springfield College and an unusual tie against well-matched MIT. The Mammoths have made an excellent start to the campaign, only getting caught in the wake of rival Williams in a narrow 180-110 defeat on Jan. 5. After dropping the first event, Jayne Vogelzang ’19 won the 1000-yard freestyle for the Mammoths. Natalie Rumpelt ’20 and Livia Domenig ’19 then took first and second, respectively, in th

Women’s Swim & Dive Bests Middlebury in Third Dual Meet

This past Saturday, the women’s swim and dive team traveled to Middlebury, Vermont in an attempt to push their record to 3-0 to open the season. With wins over NESCAC foes Colby and Wesleyan over Thanksgiving break already under their belt, the Mammoths were riding high heading into the matchup. The meet began with the 200-yard medley relay, in which Amherst fielded four quartets to Middlebury’s three. Ingrid Shu ’20, Natalie Rumpelt ’20, Nina Fitzgerald ’21 and Marie Fagan ’22 led the way, ear

Women’s Swim & Dive Trounces Colby and Wesleyan to Open Season

The women’s swim and dive team started its season off with two dual meet victories over Thanksgiving break. In the first matchup on Saturday, Nov. 17, the Mammoths hosted the Colby Mules at Pratt Pool. The Mammoths picked right up where they left off after last season’s second-place finish at the NESCAC Championships, easily navigating past Colby, earning 168 points to the Mules’ 123. Notably, junior Natalie Rumpelt picked up the win in the 200-yard backstroke for Amherst and was part of the w

Men’s Soccer Falls to Tufts in DIII Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen 3-0

On November 17, on a cold and windy Saturday, the men’s soccer team fell to NESCAC rival Tufts in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division III National Tournament to end the Mammoths’ season. The first half was a deadlocked affair, as each team lived up to its defensive and physical reputation. Tufts only took four shots in the first half, while Amherst managed just three, one of which forced a desperate save by the Tufts netminder. The second half, however, proved to be far more action-packed.

Philanthropist Supports Education at Amherst

Charles “Chuck” Lewis ’64 is best described as a bridge-builder. “Some people fill structural holes — I’m one of those people,” Lewis told me. Lewis learned this about himself as a quarterback at Albany Comprehensive High School, where he led a group of talented running backs, rangy wideouts and a “monster” center as a unit. Lewis, now in his seventies, can still shoot a basketball and continues to follow the same principles of leadership and bridge-building in his work. Today, Lewis “pays to

Men’s Soccer Falls to Colby, 3-1, in NESCAC Semifinal Matchup

This past Saturday afternoon, fter two nights of torrential downpour, the Mammoths hosted Colby in the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament on Hitchcock Field. No. 4 Amherst downed fifth-seeded Bowdoin in the first round to secure progress to the semifinals, while Colby took down top-ranked Tufts in penalty kicks the week prior. Amherst pushed hard from the first whistle and looked to be the more confident and composed side. In the opening minutes, Will Cohen ’19 managed to head a shot on target

Men’s Tennis’ Sean Wei ’21 Finishes Second at ITA Singles Championship

This past weekend, the Amherst men’s tennis team traveled to Williamstown, Massachusetts to face competition from around the northeast at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s New England Regional Championships. Amherst had several players seeded in both the singles and doubles tournaments. In the singles bracket, Sean Wei ’21 was seeded second, while classmate Kevin Ma was seeded fifth in the 64-man field. In the doubles bracket, Wei and Harris Foulkes ’22 were seeded fifth, while Zach Bes

Jackie Buzkin ’22 Claims Singles Title at Women’s Tennis ITAs

This past weekend, the women’s tennis team competed at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) New England Regional Championships, hosted by rival Williams in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Over the course of the weekend, the Mammoths faced competition in singles and doubles brackets from 10 other teams and walked away with the individual champion and a doubles bracket finalist. Several of Amherst’s singles and doubles pairs were seeded going into the tournament. The first-year pairing of Ja

Men’s Golf Finishes Third at Trinity’s Detrick Invitational

This past weekend, the men’s golf team traveled to Newington, Connecticut to compete in the Bill Detrick Invitational, a tournament hosted by conference-rival Trinity. There, the Mammoths competed against nine teams, including NESCAC foes Tufts and Wesleyan and other foes such as Babson College and Manhattanville College. After the first day’s competition, the Mammoths sat in fourth place with a team score of 16-over-par. Trinity’s first squad played exceptionally well, notching a combined s

Men's Soccer Returns Key Contributors on Attack and Defense

The Amherst men’s soccer team finished last season with a 12-4-3 record, going 6-2-2 in conference play. Amherst reached the third round of the NCAA Division III tournament, before falling to the University of Rochester 2-1 just weeks after suffering a shocking defeat to Hamilton in the NESCAC quarterfinals. Amherst, however, put together several impressive wins during the regular season, including several thrilling overtime victories and a 4-1 domination of Little III Wesleyan. The Mammoths,

Junior Core of Men’s Tennis Grows Into Senior Leadership Roles

Building upon last season’s success and a strong core of returning players, the Amherst men’s tennis team certainly has high expectations for the fall season. The team only plays through the month of October, but the Mammoths will look to springboard off their spring campaign, during which the team boasted a record of 12-7 and reached the round of 16 in the NCAA Division III Tournament. This year, the Mammoths can lay claim to a reserve of senior leadership, a stark difference from last year

Women’s Tennis Returns Proven Upperclassmen Core

The Amherst women’s tennis squad hopes to improve upon last season’s showing despite the departure of a pair of celebrated seniors. The Mammoths had an exceptionally strong spring season, finishing with an overall record of 12-10 and securing an NCAA Division III tournament quarterfinal appearance. Notable victories during the spring season included wins over the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, North Carolina Wesleyan College and the University of Mary Washington, but Amherst fell to arch

Men’s Golf Finishes Fifth After Two Days at Williams Invitational

This weekend, the men’s golf team travelled to the Williams Spring Opener Tournament in Williamstown, MA at the Taconic Golf Club. The Mammoths competed against eight teams from around the NESCAC, including rival and host Williams. The first day of action saw Amherst off to a solid start. The Mammoths’ scoring group included four sophomores and one junior, although others competed as non-scoring players. With the best performance of the team on the first day, sophomore Jack Klein shot a 78. Sop