AMHERST, Mass. – Sophomore Aidan Curtis scored the only goal of the game to help the #10 Amherst College men's soccer team beat the Wesleyan University Cardinals 1-0 in the NESCAC Championship quarterfinals Saturday afternoon on Hitchcock Field.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
* The game began as a fairly evenly-contested affair. Both Wesleyan and Amherst had spells where they could move possession forwards and have shots on goal, but strong defensive performances of the two teams overcame most attacking threats. Seven-and-a-half minutes until the break, the Mammoths created their most promising scoring opportunity of the game of the half. First-year Ioannis Hadjiyiannis forced the Wesleyan goalkeeper, Mathis Blanc, to make a phenomenal diving save to his left from a header which was guided into the bottom corner. Declan Sung then cut in from the left wing and pulled the trigger powerfully - in a similar fashion to his goal on Wednesday versus the Trinity College Bantams - but his effort just missed the goal. The score remained 0-0 at half-time after neither team was able to convert their chances into a goal.

* In the 61st minute, Aidan Curtis scored his fourth goal of the season and his second goal in as many games to give Amherst the crucial 1-0 lead. The goal's move began when Sophomore Fynn Hayton-Ruffner used his physicality to retain possession in Amherst's defensive half. Hayton-Ruffner then passed it diagonally for Sophomore teammate Curtis to run onto and take a strong first touch to power forwards - past a Wesleyan defender competing for the ball. With Curtis' next touch, he poked the ball past Blanc - the goalkeeper who had rushed out from the goalline - into the bottom left corner of the goal. 

* The remainder of the game was full of exciting, attacking plays from both teams. Amherst's goalkeeper, Senior Bernie White, made two key saves to keep the score 1-0 in favor of the home side. In the last chance of the game and with two minutes remaining until full-time, Amherst nearly cemented their lead and removed any hint of a Wesleyan equalizing goal. Sophomore Fynn Hayton-Ruffner passed the ball to Junior Ada Okorogheye on the right wing who dribbled past the deepest Wesleyan defender before laying it off to Sophomore Micah Valadez Bush. The Sophomore's shot, however, ended up inches wide of the post. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

* Amherst now holds a 10-1-5 overall record (4-1-5 in NESCAC regular season; 1-0-0 in NESCAC post-season) for the season. 

* Up next: Amherst's quarterfinal win on Saturday allows the team to progress into the semifinals. The Mammoths, who ranked third in the NESCAC regular season standings, will play versus the #20 Middlebury College Panthers - who ranked fourth in the NESCAC regular season standings. The game will take place on the Williams College Ephs' own Cole Field in Williamstown, Massachusetts at 1:30 p.m. next Saturday, November 5th. 

* The Mammoths took 7 shots (5 on goal); Wesleyan took 5 shots (2 on goal).