BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Due to the use of an illegal player during the span of the 2016 Men’s Collegiate Club season, Amherst College is forfeiting the entirety of the program’s season.
Following an investigation by the league office based on scoresheets and interviews with the impacted parties, it was concluded based on material facts and admissions of conduct that a player who was not currently enrolled in the college competed for Amherst during the 2016 Colonial Division regular season and championship tournaments. In addition, due to Amherst claiming the Colonial Division title, the squad advanced to the 2016 Men’s Division III National Collegiate Club Championship at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y.
In the Colonial Division, Amherst has accepted the forfeiture of the program’s entire 2016 season as all games in which the team competed will be officially listed as 5-0 forfeits. Statistics (goals, assists, saves, ejections) from the games for Amherst’s competition will not be impacted, while the Amherst statistics will be voided with the exception of cards and misconducts.
Due to the forfeiture, Wesleyan is awarded the 2016 Colonial Division Championship after losing to Amherst by a 12-10 score in the division title game on Sunday, October 16, at home in Middletown, Conn. Williams College, which defeated Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) by a 9-4 score in the Third Place game is awarded the runner-up position in the official final standings, while WPI claims Third Place. The University of Massachusetts moves up for fourth in the standings with Amherst not earning an official final standing.
The forfeiture’s also apply to the Division III Club Championship as Amherst forfeits its games against Middlebury College, Carnegie Mellon University and New York University. Unofficially, the team earned a Fourth Place finish at the event but does not earn a final placement at the championship as Tufts University, Grinnell, Hamilton and Middlebury each move up one place to rate at No. four-to-seven in the eight-team tournament standings. Further, the illegal player is removed from the Division III Championship All-Tournament team with Connor Moore of Carnegie Mellon University being awarded the open position on the Second Team.
