AMHERST, MA – The 3rd-ranked Amherst College men's soccer team opened up its 2009 season this afternoon with a NESCAC match against Bowdoin College at Hitchcock Field in Amherst, MA. The Lord Jeffs used a pair of second half goals from first-year Spencer Noon (Farmington, CT) to power a win, improving to 1-0 (1-0 NESCAC) on the year.

Last fall, Amherst traveled to Bowdoin and came home with a 4-2 loss, but turned up its game during the second half of the season en route to the program's first NESCAC Championship. The Jeffs posted seven consecutive shutouts during the post season last year, running through the conference tournament all the way to the 2008 Final Four. Amherst fell to Stevens Institute of Technology in the national semifinal game, capping off the most successful season in program history.

During the first half of play, Amherst's best scoring chances came from junior forward Chris Linsmayer (Denver, CO) and sophomore midfielder Henry Rouse (Birmingham, AL). In the 13th minute, Linsmayer hit a shot from the left side of the 18-yard box, and after taking a deflection the ball hit the near post before caroming out of bounds. In the 35th minute, a loose ball slid back to Rouse for a one-time blast that sailed just wide of the left upper corner.

Bowdoin's best chance of the opening frame came off a free kick from 25 yards out, just to the right side of the goal. Bowdoin's Nick Powell bent a ball over the Amherst wall, and forced a diving save by Lord Jeff goaltender Lennard Kovacs (Wolfersdorf, Germany) to keep the game scoreless. Neither team was able to break the deadlock, as the two sides broke for halftime at 0-0.

Amherst broke the scoreless tie with in the 67th minute, with first-year Spencer Noon (Farmington, CT) scoring his first collegiate goal. Rouse picked up the assist on the score, passing the ball to Noon who touched it behind the Bowdoin back line, before ripping a hard shot into the left side netting.

With just 15 minutes remaining, Amherst rookie Robert Gooden was released by a ball over the top and beat Bowdoin goalie Dan Hicks in a foot race. Gooden pushed the ball wide and was all alone, but did not have an angle to get a shot off before Bowdoin's defenders recovered to the goal mouth.

With just over seven minutes remaining, Noon struck again, this time on a rebound. Linsmayer beat the last Bowdoin defender and took a shot that forced Hicks into a diving save. Hicks was unable to hold onto the shot, and Noon pounced on the looks ball for his second score of the game.

Bowdoin pressured hard down the stretch, but was unable to cut into Amherst's lead, as the final whistle blew on a 2-0 result. Kovacs finished the game with a pair of saves, while Hicks made five stops in the loss. Amherst will host Bridgewater State Wednesday night in non-conference action, before traveling to Tufts University next Saturday in NESCAC play.