MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Goals in the first five minutes of the game from junior defenders Simon Kalinauskas and Ben Clark-Eden lifted the Amherst College men's soccer team to a 2-1 win over Connecticut College in the semifinals of the NESCAC Championship on Saturday afternoon at Middlebury College's South Street Field.

The defending NESCAC champion Mammoths (12-2-3) are now unbeaten in their last seven games after handing the Camels (11-1-5) their first loss of the season.

Amherst will move on to play Tufts tomorrow at noon in the NESCAC championship game at Middlebury.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* The Mammoths started off the game strong with the first goal off a corner kicked in by first-year forward Mohammed Nuhu, flicked on by junior midfielder Niall Murphy and put in the back of the net by Kalinauskas at 1:08.

* Less than three minutes later, Amherst scored a second goal off a throw-in by senior defender Declan Sung that Clark-Eden put in the back of the goal at 4:58, assisted by Kalinauskas.

* Connecticut College countered quickly with a goal off a corner kick volleyed in by junior defender Jack Kelesoglu to make the score 2-1 in the 10th minute.

* Amherst kept Connecticut College predominantly in its defensive third for the rest of the first half. Another close attempt for the Mammoths came in the 26th minute off another Sung throw-in. Senior defender Shawn Rapal headed the ball but was blocked by a Conn defender.

* Connecticut College started the second half off strong with a corner kick that was punched out by senior goalie Max Landa in the 48th minute.

* A free kick by junior defender Ryan Gomez was scooped up by Connecticut College goalie Peter Silvester in the 73rd minute.

* A free kick for Connecticut College in the 78th minute was knocked around in the six-yard box until first-year forward Luka Ohadike cleared it away.

* Nuhu was fouled in the box with seven minutes left for a penalty kick. Senior forward Ada Okorogheye took the penalty kick but it was saved by Silvester.

* Conn pressed Amherst hard, fighting for a good chance in the waning minutes. A scramble in the box was popped out for a serve in that was deflected for a Conn corner with three minutes to go. The corner was cleared out by Amherst only to be served back in for a save by Landa.

* Connecticut College tried to work their way into the box to find an equalizer but their next attempt was cleared out by Gomez with 2:15 to play.



BY THE NUMBERS:

* Amherst had 12 shots in the game, 4 of which were on goal, while Connecticut College took 9 shots, placing 2 on goal.

* Corner kicks were equal with three for each team.

* Landa needed only one save to earn the win for the Mammoths, while Silvester tallied two saves for the Camels.