AMHERST — For the second straight fall season, the Amherst boys soccer team has been on the wrong end of an abundance of one-goal games.
The Hurricanes (1-8-3) have either lost by one goal or tied 17 times over the past two seasons, including seven instances this year – by far the most in Hampshire County. All but one contest has been decided by two goals or less in 2023.
Despite the unfortunate outcomes, second-year coach Matthew Travis has remained focused on making an impact on each one of his players. He knows the wins will string together if he continues to coach his hardest every single day.
“Obviously it’s frustrating as a coach, you know your goal is to win,” Travis said. “But at the end of the day, my biggest thing coming here is changing this culture and the mindset of these young individuals. And this doesn’t happen overnight, so I’m making sure we do the little things, making sure we always make the right decisions on and off the field. If we continue to prioritize those little details and we make sure we’re the best individuals we can be, then the results will come.”
Amherst plays in the most daunting league western Massachusetts boys soccer has to offer. The Smith League fields Belchertown – which the Hurricanes play on Friday – Longmeadow, West Springfield, Minnechaug, Ludlow, and East Longmeadow, all of whom are terrific programs that have seen plenty of success in recent years.
Playing against some of the best competition in the region is exactly what Travis wants for his team, and he’s enjoyed watching their strong response to playing tougher opponents.
“It’s credit to our league, everybody is really, really good,” Travis said. “And I think that’s been great, because we would rather play tough competition that brings the best out of us. We’re in it, we just need to do a couple more things to get the ball in the back of the net and reap those benefits.”
On Wednesday, Amherst tied West Springfield, and last week, the ‘Canes battled to a draw with Ludlow – a team widely regarded by coaches as the best in WMass – and Longmeadow. They even beat the reigning state champions (South Hadley) in their first game of the season.
“The 1-0 losses, they suck,” senior captain Patrick Staudenmayer said. “I think they hurt more in some way than getting beat 4-0, honestly. It’s definitely not been fun losing, but the vibes on the team have always been high. I think everyone here believes, and our past couple results have shown that. I feel like we’re one piece away from clicking.”
Because Amherst has had so many close games with these teams – all of which are ranked inside the state tournament rankings’ top-32 for their respective division – it has allowed them to still have a shot at making the postseason. The Hurricanes sit on the bubble of that top-32 in Division 2 at No. 40, and are ninth in the Class A Western Mass. tournament rankings (top eight qualify).
“Our league being really good keeps our strength of schedule really high, so even though we’re not getting the results that we want as of right now, we’re not out of it yet,” senior captain Liam Stewart said. “We still have the ability to make Western Mass. and states, so we’re keeping that in mind as we practice and as we play. If we can start getting these results even though we only have four games left, our destiny is still in our control.”
The ‘Canes have also dealt with several devastating injuries to key players. Stewart, the team’s defensive anchor at center back, missed time with an injury, starting goalie and senior Rabi Mednicoff-Misra is out for the season, senior center back Indigo De Los Reyes missed time, and Staudenmayer – Amherst’s strongest offensive weapon – is currently out and might be for another week.
There is no question Travis would like to have his full complement of players healthy, but these injuries have opened a new window of opportunity for his younger players. Amherst has six seniors and 15 freshmen, sophomores, and juniors making up its roster.
“We’ve dealt with some injuries in really key positions,” Travis said. “I think we played three games the entire season where we’ve been at full strength. But it’s not an excuse, it’s just an opportunity for our younger guys to get more experience. We’re a young team right now, so if some of those guys can get in and contribute right away and not wait for next year, then that will be ideal.”
Amherst has also battled with dictating the tempo and pace of games, as the Hurricanes seem to play to the level of their opponent. They’ve come to play in big games, but struggle to show up against teams they expect to beat.
“We tied Ludlow, who people say is the best team around,” Staudenmayer said. “I think that speaks to how we can compete with the best of the best. When it comes to getting results against the teams lower than them, we’ve struggled with that.”
The senior class has dealt with heartbreaking loss after heartbreaking loss, but the six of them wouldn’t trade their high school careers for anything. Stewart knows there’s still hope this season, and promises that if the Hurricanes can get as healthy as possible come postseason, they’ll put up a fight with any team in Division 2.
“I don’t regret anything, we’ve all had fun this whole time,” Stewart said. “Hopefully we can get over the hump and get into playoffs, and I think if we get there, we’re gonna be a hard out for anybody that we play.”
Yes, Amherst may not be walking away from game days with the results it wants, but that hasn’t stopped Travis from coaching – nor the players from playing. There is a high level of buy-in from each member of the team, and the optimistic environment and overall strong bond of the team has helped Travis detect that success is certainly on the horizon for this group.
“I think we’re just a really good group, and the culture is in the right spot right now and that’s a huge strength,” Travis said. “It makes my job easier as a coach, and more enjoyable, being around these kids that want to do better and help motivate each other. They hold everyone accountable, they’re able to have difficult conversations with one another, and those are some powerful things that get overlooked with the record. We aren’t where we want to be right now, but we’re coming.”
