AMHERST, MA - The Amherst College men's soccer team suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to visiting 23rd-ranked non-conference foe Western New England College (WNEC) on Tuesday afternoon. The Jeffs fell to 5-3-2 on the season, while the Golden Bears improved to 12-1.
The first half was marked by action at both ends of the field, as each team created legitimate scoring opportunities but could not find the back of the net. Perhaps the best chance of the period came at the 39-minute mark when Jeff senior Adrien de Bontin (Kenilworth, IL) flicked a Joe Gannon (Hanson, MA) corner on to sophomore Taylor Downs (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY), who knocked a well-placed header toward the upper left corner of the net, but WNEC junior goalkeeper Chris Wilk (Derry, NH) got a fist on it and punched it up over the crossbar to alleviate the pressure momentarily and keep the game scoreless. Amherst kept knocking at the door, however, and just five minutes later created another golden opportunity as de Bontin, at the top right-corner of the eighteen-yard box, took a ball from senior midfielder Christian Alexander (Santa Fe, NM) and one-timed it across the goal-mouth to rookie striker Jake Duker (Newton, MA), who re-directed the ball past a sprawling Wilk, but just wide of the net, and game remained knotted heading into the break.
The second stanza saw more of the same end-to-end action as the teams continued to battle without score, thanks to more strong play from Wilk and Amherst senior goalkeeper Greg Lockwood (Vancouver, WA), who made two leaping, one-handed saves in the second frame to keep the tie intact. The Golden Bears finally notched the eventual game-winner at the 80:37-mark as senior Paul Russo (Dix Hills, NY) knocked home a low Kofi Oteng (Worcester, MA) cross to post his fourth goal of the season. The Jeffs tried to muster a response in the waning seconds as Downs won a high ball in the WNEC box and flicked a header on to the back post, but the re-direction was deflected just over the crossbar to preserve the victory for the Golden Bears.
Wilk finished with six saves in the victory, while Lockwood grabbed six in a losing effort.
Amherst returns to action Saturday at 11 a.m. at NESCAC rival Colby College.
