The wind howled through Rotch Field on Saturday, Oct. 12, as the Emerson men’s soccer team faced one of their toughest challengers of the season. The Lions looked to defend their home turf against the nationally-ranked Amherst Mammoths. Despite keeping the game knotted at zero through the first 50 minutes, Amherst would eventually pull away to hand Emerson a 3-0 loss. 

The first half was a physical, back-and-forth battle. The Lions relied on their defense to keep themselves in the game, deterring any shots from the Mammoths’ high-powered offense. Sophomore goalkeeper Beckett Hobbs tallied two saves in the half, as Emerson matched Amherst’s signature energy and physicality. 

“We were as physical as [arguably] the most physical team in Div. III men’s college soccer,” said Emerson head coach Liam McKersie. “[It’s] definitely a positive takeaway that we can meet the physical power of a team like that.”

Emerson would have a couple scoring chances of their own in the opening 45. First-year midfielder Vigo Cassidy had a shot saved in the 23rd minute, and junior defender Kyler Maira had a breakaway opportunity stifled in the closing minutes of the half. 

The Mammoths would break the tie on a free kick in minute 53 and never looked back, tacking on two more goals in the final third of the game to pull away from the Lions. 

Officiating was a point of contention for the home team, as Emerson players and coaches appeared visibly frustrated with calls from the referees, including a penalty shot that awarded Amherst their second goal of the game. 

McKersie said that the officiating was not the only factor in the final result. 

“[There were] definitely some frustrating bounces of the ball and frustrating decisions,” he said. “[However,] we control what we control; what we do with the ball, how we defend, and how we work in transition, so that’s the part that we’ll grow on.” 

Although the game slipped away in the second half, Emerson kept fighting until the final horn. Sophomore forward Thomas Pelino put a shot on target that would’ve tied the game at one if not for the quick hands of the Amherst goalkeeper. The Lions mounted multiple late-game barrages trying to claw back into the contest, ultimately to no avail. 

In spite of the outcome, Emerson’s spirits remained intact. Looking toward the future, the team felt there was some good to take away from the loss to the highly-touted Amherst squad. 

Maira also noted the instilled confidence that comes from knowing you can play up to a great opponent’s level.

“That’s a team that’s been in the top 16 teams of the tournament for [18 straight years] and we hung with them for 60 minutes,” he said. “[We] just have to extend those 60 minutes into 90.” 

The men’s soccer team will return to action across the river on Saturday, Oct. 19, when they take on the MIT Engineers. The game will kick off a stretch of five consecutive NEWMAC clashes for the Lions, including their next home showdown against Wheaton on Oct. 23. With the regular season winding down, the team looks to finish on a high note.