AMHERST, MA - The Amherst College men's soccer team opened its season with a 1-0 shutout victory over visiting NESCAC foe Trinity College in both teams' season- and conference opener on Saturday. Sophomore standout Taylor Downs (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY) notched the game's lone score, punching home a header from junior Rob Madden (New Haven, CT) just over 10 minutes into the second half, while senior goalie Greg Lockwood (Vancouver, WA) needed only three saves to secure his 13 th career shutout.

Amherst controlled the tempo from the opening kick off, keeping the ball on its half of the field throughout the majority of the session and surrendering just three Trinity shots. The Jeffs broke the scoreless tie at the 55:18-mark as Madden corralled a long corner kick from senior Joe Gannon (Hanson, MA) and flipped it into the box where Downs converted the score. The Jeff defense led by seniors Christian Alexander (Santa Fe, NM) and Jeremy Kelley (Randolph, MA), sophomore John Kneeland (Holden, MA) and first-year Grayson Holland (Sudbury, MA) was solid throughout, allowing just three shots on goal, which Lockwood stopped with relative ease.

Trinity first-year netminder Zac Trudeau (Norwell, MA) grabbed eight saves in a losing effort.

Amherst returns to action tomorrow at 2 p.m. at non-conference foe Roger Williams University.