AMHERST, Mass. — With four first-half goals, the #6 Amherst College men's soccer team beat the #15 St. Lawrence University Saints 4-2 in the NCAA Championship Round of 32 on Sunday afternoon on Hitchcock Field.
Amherst will take on the #18 Mary Washington Eagles Saturday. Time and location TBA.
It is the 12th consecutive season the Mammoths have advanced as far as the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
* It took only one minute and twenty-one seconds for Amherst to take the lead. Junior
Ada Okorogheye took a free-kick from the corner of the penalty box and crossed the ball into sophomore
Fynn Hayton-Ruffner who perfectly timed his jump to nod the ball into the bottom corner with his head.
* Twenty minutes later, junior
Declan Sung made it 2-0. Hayton-Ruffner skilfully passed the ball to sophomore
Aidan Curtis. Curtis then passed the ball on first-time to Sung who found space to the left side of the penalty box. Sung's fast footwork took the ball round a defender and gave him the opportunity to prepare a shot which, with a significant deflection, arched over the St. Lawrence goalkeeper.
* Sophomore
Niall Murphy was responsible for Amherst's third goal six minutes later. In a wonderful solo move, Murphy dribbled the ball past defenders effortlessly before firing the ball into the far corner from the edge of the box with a powerful strike. With seven minutes of the first half remaining, St. Lawrence then pulled a goal back. Antonio Rogliano passed the ball from the left to Ryan Campbell who took a touch onto his left foot and smashed the ball into the far top corner with the laces of his cleat.
* To consolidate the lead, first-year Adan Trott assisted the goal with a header to senior
Andrew Barkidjija -- after a series of headers brought the ball into St. Lawrence's defensive penalty box. Barkidjija controlled the ball with his knee before volleying it over the outstretched goalkeeper with his right cleat. Amherst hunted aggressively for a fifth goal and came close with a header in the last minute of the half by
Nico Kenary which was directed just too high above the bar.
* The only goal of the second half was awarded to the Saints. An accurate pass through Amherst's defense opened up an opportunity for Sam Pijpers to launch the ball into the back of the net with his left foot from the D area of the penalty box.
* Amherst closed out the remainder of the game with valiant defending. Each of the 11 Mammoth players on the field worked hard to close down the opposition and exert constant pressure toward the Liberty League Champions.
BY THE NUMBERS:
* Amherst now holds a 14-1-5 overall record (4-1-5 in NESCAC regular season; 3-0-0 in NESCAC post-season; 2-0-0 in NCAA Championship) for the season.
* The Mammoths took 22 shots (6 on goal); St. Lawrence took 10 shots (5 on goal). Mammoth keeper
Bernie White made three stops.
