Around the Herd: Oct. 29 to Nov. 4 in Athletics

Volleyball 

This week, the volleyball team traveled to play two conference opponents. On Friday, they lost 3-0 to Middlebury. On Saturday, they fell 3-2 in their final game of the season to Williams in a heartbreaker.

On Halloween night, the Panthers took control early on in the first set against the Mammoths. Amherst found initial offensive opportunities with kills from Gabrielle Hines ’29 and Addison Lau ’29, as well as service aces from Judith Subirats-Bosch ’29 and Eleanor Jones ’29. These efforts kept the score close, but a strong run from Middlebury put Amherst behind 20-12. A kill from Brielle Renwick ’27 and a combined block from Lau and Renwick gave the Mammoths hope, but Middlebury was able to maintain its lead and win the set 25-17. The Panthers’ momentum continued in the second set, where they found an initial 11-4 advantage. The Mammoths fought to stay close, thanks in part to kills from Tiana Richardson ’27 and a joint block from Lau and Richardson. More critical kills from Lau and Hines narrowed the gap to 14-18. However, the Panthers responded quickly with kills and blocks of their own and claimed the second set with a score of 25-19. Both teams saw an evenly matched start to the third set. Amherst took an 8-5 lead after aces from Subirats-Bosch and Audrey Krichev ’28 and a kill from Richardson. Middlebury regained the lead after going on an eight-point run, however, bringing the score to 14-9. Two back-to-back kills from Zosia Teraszkiewicz ’28 kept the Mammoths in it, but ultimately the Panthers’ offensive strength prevailed as they took the final set 25-15 and the match 3-0.

The next day, the Ephs got off to a strong start against Amherst, winning eight of the first nine points of the first set. Kills from Lau, Hines, Naima Cho-Khaliq ’29, and Sofia Camilo ’28 stifled some of William’s offensive stride, but ultimately the Ephs took the set 25-16. In the second set, both teams traded points for the majority of the frame. Amherst found an advantage of 9-7 after kills from Cho-Khaliq and Richardson, as well as consecutive service aces from Lau. Shortly after, though, Williams found a five-point scoring streak of their own, eventually using that to build a 24-20 lead down the stretch. The Mammoths didn’t back down, though, winning the next five points to force the set to continue. With the score tied at 25 apiece, an error from the Ephs followed by a kill from Chideraa Ngwadom ’27 gave Amherst the set, 27-25. Williams bounced back in the third set, scoring seven consecutive points to lead 14-5. Kills from Hines and Lau kept it close, but ultimately the Ephs prevailed 25-13 in the third. With a must-win set, Amherst came out strong in the fourth with kills and blocks from Ngwadom and Lau. Though the Mammoths maintained their lead, Williams stayed close throughout the frame. At the end of the set, Amherst posted kills from Lau, Alexandra Trofort ’25, Ngwadom, and Camilo. This offensive surge allowed the Mammoths to win the set 25-19 and stay alive. In the tie-breaker set, the Ephs came out strong with a 5-0 lead. The Mammoths responded, though, with Richardson making two straight kills and Jones earning a service ace. Amherst took a 9-7 lead after a block by Lau and Ngwadom, but ultimately the Ephs responded to win the set 15-10. Amherst lost 3-2 in the tightly contested match.

The team ended the season with a 7-10 overall record, with a 2-8 record among conference opponents.

Women’s Cross Country

On Saturday, the women’s cross country team competed in the NESCAC Championships, taking fifth place.

The Mammoths ran a six-kilometer course in New London, Connecticut. Flora Biro ’28 finished first for the Mammoths in 21:33, earning 11th overall. In her first championship race, Katie Greenwald ’29 took 23rd place with a time of 22:12. Close behind was Ava Thomas ’28 in 33rd place with a mark of 22:30. Nikki Chopra ’27 and Audrey Seeger ’28 then completed Amherst’s top five scoring runners with times of 22:31 and 22:42, respectively, earning 34th and 37th place. Also with strong finishes, Allison Lounsbury ’26 finished in 22:58 to place 46th, and Piper Lentz ’26 finished in 23:04 to place 50th. The Mammoths finished the meet with 138 points, which earned fifth overall.

The team will run next at the NCAA Mideast Regionals in Canter, New York, on Saturday, Nov. 15.

Men’s Cross Country

Like the women, the men’s cross country team competed in the NESCAC Championships on Saturday, placing third.

In New London, Connecticut, the Mammoths ran an eight-kilometer course against conference opponents. Crossing the finish line first for Amherst, Harrison Dow ’27 finished in 24:25, placing third overall. Just a few seconds behind him, Stan Craig ’27 finished in 24:32, placing fifth overall and putting two Mammoths in the top five. In his championship debut, Carter Bengtson ’29 earned 17th place overall with a time of 24:54. Henry Dennen ’26 and Parker Boyle ’26 rounded out Amherst’s scoring five with times of 24:59 and 25:30, earning 19th and 39th, respectively. Just behind them in 42nd and 56th place, Harrison Talcott ’27’s time of 25:39 and Thomas Stephens ’26’s time of 25:53 provided support to keep the team competitive deep into the field. These finishes brought the Mammoths 80 points, placing them third overall behind Tufts’ 30 and Williams’ 57. 

On Saturday, Nov. 15, the team will compete in the NCAA Mideast Regionals hosted by St. Lawrence University.

Football

The football team traveled to Trinity on Saturday, losing 14-7 in a game that came down to the final minutes. 

Both teams traded possessions, ending the first quarter scoreless. In the second quarter, the first scoring action came about eight minutes in. The Bantam quarterback connected with his receiver for a 46-yard reception into the endzone. Combined with the made extra point, Trinity was up 7-0. Strong Trinity defense with multiple quarterback-hurries shut down any big offensive gains, and resulted in the same 7-0 Trinity lead at the half.

Neither team could get its offense going in the second half. Finally, after countless downs and tackles, the Mammoths got the break they needed. Trinity’s quarterback threw a pass that was read perfectly by Amherst Defensive Back Tylik Sims ’27, who intercepted it and took it all the way into the end zone for a pick-6. Hudson Fulcher-Melendy ’28 made the extra point, and just like that, the teams were tied once again. Later in the quarter, Miles Harmon ’26 made a hero play, intercepting a pass in the endzone and taking the ball in the other direction, but an earlier Amherst penalty resulted in a repeat of the down. After Trinity missed their field goal attempt, and Amherst got the ball back, Marek Hill ’28 found Carter Jung ’26 for a huge 45-yard reception, trying to swing the momentum in Amherst’s favor for the final quarter. Despite this, an early interception in the fourth gave the ball back to the Bantams. On the following offensive possession, Trinity once again found the end zone, shifting the scoreline to 14-7. When it looked like Amherst might catch a break, penalty after penalty kept moving them further and further back. Ultimately, the Mammoths turned the ball over on downs, and after a last-ditch effort by Hill fell incomplete, Trinity kneeled to win the game, 14-7.

The loss brings Amherst to 4-4 in the NESCAC. In the defeat, Jung registered 75 yards. Sims and Miles Harmon each had interceptions, and Jackson Duncan ’27 and Ty Kazanowsky ’27 both logged quarterback-hurries. Duncan and Wyatt Morgan ’28 both sacked the Trinity quarterback, and Luke Harmon ’26 and Carson Skotak ’27 led the team in tackles with 11 apiece. The Mammoths close out their 2025 season this weekend, hosting arch rival Williams on Saturday, Nov. 8, at noon for Homecoming and their senior game.

Field Hockey

On Saturday, the field hockey team traveled to Medford, MA, where they lost 3-2 to No. 1 seed Tufts in the quarterfinal round of the NESCAC tournament.

Three minutes into the game, the Jumbos showed why they were the top-ranked team, scoring early to take a 1-0 lead. The rest of the first quarter was relatively uneventful for both teams. In the second quarter, Tufts found the back of the net again, doubling up on the Mammoths. Determined not to let the lead get out of hand, Amherst soon got its offense going. A Tufts foul inside the circle awarded the Mammoths a penalty corner. Maya Harrington ’27 sent the ball into play, and Genevieve Caruso ’27 collected it and sent a shot towards the goal. Although the Jumbos’ keeper made the initial save, Caruso showcased her determination when she chased down the ball and shot it once more, this time finding the net to make the score 2-1. Then, just three minutes later, Emily Huehn ’28 found Caroline Busler ’28, who sent the ball past the Tufts backline for the equalizer. Just like that, as the final minutes of the first half ticked down, the two teams found themselves neck and neck.

Both teams battled fiercely out of the half, but they combined for just one shot in the third quarter, leaving the score unchanged. Early in the fourth quarter, Tufts earned a corner. Although Grace Puchalski ’27 made an initial save for the Mammoths, Tufts quickly earned another penalty corner and capitalized, slipping a shot past Puchalski to score. Refusing to give up, Amherst continued to look for offensive chances; Emma Zhang ’29 had a great chance, but again the Tufts keeper was there to stop it. With under four minutes remaining in the game, Amherst pulled Puchalski to try to create an offensive advantage. Ultimately, though, Tufts kept them out of scoring territory and walked away with the quarterfinal victory, 3-2. Both Puchalski and fellow keeper Kate Grady ’28 registered saves in the loss. The Mammoths conclude NESCAC play with a 4-6 record.

Women’s Soccer 

The women’s soccer team hosted Colby in the quarterfinal round of the NESCAC Championships on Saturday, losing 2-0.

Starting off strong, the Mammoths took two corner kicks in the first 10 minutes of play and kept the Mules in a defensive position. In one of Amherst’s strongest attempts on goal, Caroline Coletti ’28 passed a great ball to Mekhala Costello ’28, who took a powerful shot on goal, though the Colby goalkeeper blocked her attempt. Coletti continued to send expert crosses to threaten the Mules’ goal, connecting with Brooke Ingemi ’26 and Sophia Haynes ’26, who each attempted to get Amherst onto the scoreboard. Not long after, the Mammoths showed strong defensive teamwork as well when goalkeeper Lulu Fickes ’26 made a diving save and Kate Quigley ’26 stepped in to back her up by clearing the ball and preventing the Mules from capitalizing on the attack. Nonetheless, Colby took a corner kick and scored soon after, giving the Mules a 1-0 lead at half. Eager to respond, first-year Emma Darling ’29 opened the second half with an impressive run toward the Colby goal, putting immediate pressure on the keeper. However, the Mules’ defensive line managed to block her shot. With many more solid shots on goal, the Mammoths did not let up. Even with this bold offensive effort, Colby still secured another goal off a fast-paced counterattack, upping their lead to 2-0. Despite the loss, the Mammoths played a strong final game in the NESCAC Tournament, with 12 corners compared to the Mules’ four, in addition to outshooting Colby 16-13. 

The Mammoths closed out their season with a 10-4-2 record overall. With the regular season and NESCAC postseason behind them, the team will wait to find out the 2025 NCAA Tournament selections on Monday, Nov. 9. 

Men’s Soccer

The men’s soccer team traveled to Middletown on Saturday to face Wesleyan in the NESCAC Tournament Quarterfinals, ultimately losing 3-2.

The game was tightly contested from the start, with Wesleyan taking a 1-0 lead after scoring in the 18th minute. Amherst responded with a goal of their own just before the end of the half. Vincent Akanbo ’29 kicked a clean shot into the net off an assist from Jacob Dinezo ’28, bringing the score to an even 1-1 tie heading into halftime. Though Wesleyan came out strong on offense in the second half, the Mammoths’ defensive line responded well to the pressure. Putting the Cardinals on their heels in the 60th minute, Amherst took on the offensive role. Akanbo scored his second shot of the day, assisted by Luka Ohadike ’28, to level the game at  2-1. Undeterred, Wesleyan responded in the 80th minute, evening the score to 2-2. With both teams eager for the tie-breaking goal to advance in the NESCAC tournament, Wesleyan secured the win with a shot that brought the score to 3-2 in the final 15 seconds of the game. In the dramatic contest, Amherst had nine shots on goal and five corner kicks, with goalkeeper Trey Sheppard ’28 making seven key saves. 

Finishing their season with an 8-5-3 record, the men’s soccer team will wait for a status update on their invitation to the NCAA DIII Men’s Soccer Tournament beginning on Nov. 15. If they secure a spot, the Mammoths will fight to defend their place at the top as the 2024 national champions. 

Head of the Herd: Harrison Dow

The men’s cross country team paced itself to a strong third-place finish at the NESCAC Championships this past weekend, thanks in large part to Harrison Dow’s ’27 strong individual race. Dow’s 24:25.8 finishing time for the 8k course awarded him third place overall out of 158 total runners, contributing vital points for the Mammoths. Dow has been the top finisher for the Mammoths at every single meet this season, and for his strong performance this weekend, helping Amherst reach the podium, he earns this week’s Head of the Herd.