NORTHAMPTON — The Amherst Regional boys ultimate team defeated Masconomet, 15-13, in the championship game to win the State Division 1 Ultimate Tournament, Sunday at the Oxbow Marina athletic fields.
Amherst fell behind 4-1 against Masconomet, but was able to come back and tie the game at 7 and then take an 8-7 lead at halftime.
“I think we just came out slow and lackluster and it reminded us of the finals in the Amherst Invitational,” said senior co-captain Ben Goldman, whose team fell 12-11 to Westfield (New Jersey) in that tournament. “We just flipped a switch and started throwing more attacking throws. We just got off our heals and started playing the way we want to play.”
The Hurricanes changed their playing style after falling behind.
“We stopped adjusting to them and started believing in each other and trusting our systems and working what we know how to do and didn’t let them dictate the game,” said co-captain Ryan Dinger.
It was a one-point game for almost the entire second half. After being tied at 13 late in the game, Amherst scored two straight to win.
“We haven’t played a game like that in a long time so I think it was in the back of our heads that a game like that existed,” Amherst coach Joe Costello said. “They were playing very physical defense and playing similar to how we play. Once we acknowledged that and recognized it we adjusted our game to match it and we were better.”
Amherst scored several of its points on long throws.
“We know our team has incredibly athletic receivers, obviously there was wind, but we just have confidence in whatever is there and they were pretty aggressively forcing us deep at points and if you’re going to give that to us we’re going to hit it,” co-captain Harry Wolff Landau said.
Added Goldman, “We just trusted that if we could put it out there someone was going to run down and get it.”
As the season comes to an end, the Hurricanes will graduate 15 seniors, which is most of the team.
“My teammates do such inspiring things, and it’s an incredible thing to be part of this team,” Amherst junior Peter Treyz said. “Whenever we’re down and don’t think anything can change, our teammates make incredible plays and inspire all of us and we lift each other up.”
Amherst beat Concord-Carlisle, 14-6, in the semifinal round. The Hurricanes beat Longmeadow in the quarterfinals.
Amherst went 2-0 in pool play on Saturday. It beat Lincoln-Sudbury, 15-3, and Sharon, 15-3.
Northampton went 1-2 in pool play, beating Pioneer Valley Performing Arts, 12-10. PVPA went 0-3 in pool play.
Northampton reached the semifinal round, where it lost on universe point to Newton North, 12-11, Sunday.
Neither team held more than a two-point lead in the first half and no more than a one-point lead in the second half.
Hamp co-coach Sheldon Snodgrass said his team was focused only on scoring the last point entering universe point.
“I don’t think we told them anything, they were telling themselves that we need one point, right now, the point of our lives,” he said.
Added co-coach Clarissa Lyons, “The focus has been moment by moment today, so instead of focusing on outcome, every throw, every catch is moment by moment.”
Northampton beat Sharon, 14-6, in the quarterfinals.
Snodgrass said the loss was difficult.
“The feeling was total sadness, total loss and grief,” he said. “No one was mad. It was a team loss and we all took it super hard.”
Four Rivers beat Newton North, 15-2, to win the title.
The Blue Devils went 4-0 in pool play on Saturday, beating PVPA (11-3), Longmeadow (11-4), Andover (11-3) and Acton-Boxboro (10-2).
PVPA went 3-1, beating Longmeadow (9-6), Andover (7-6) and Acton-Boxboro (11-0).
Amherst fell to Lexington, 15-7, in the quarterfinals on Sunday.
The Hurricanes went 4-0 in pool play. They beat Somerville (11-2), Sharon (11-0), Winchester (11-0) and Lexington JV (11-0).