Hollywood script writers couldn’t have come up with a more perfect story for the Amherst College men’s soccer team on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas.

After 110 minutes of soccer wasn’t enough to decide a winner (0-0) between the Mammoths and Connecticut College in the NCAA Division 3 national championship game for the second time in four years, penalty kicks were needed. Back in 2021, the Camels got the best of Amherst in PKs to secure the D3 crown.

But this time around, the Mammoths earned their revenge.

Senior defenseman Simon Kalinauskas stepped up to the penalty dot in sudden death. If he made it, Amherst would raise its second national championship trophy in the last nine years. If he missed it, another round of PKs would ensue.

Kalinauskas, who was a part of the Mammoths’ team that lost 2-1 to St. Olaf in last season’s national title contest, calmly approached the ball and rifled a shot past Connecticut College keeper Peter Silvester and into the back of the net – giving Amherst a 4-3 victory in penalties to hoist a national title.

Amherst head coach Justin Serpone was too nervous to watch any of the penalty attempts, and said he had no idea what happened – he used his imagination based on the reaction from the crowd. When Kalinauskas’ shot went in, the team immediately swarmed him – Serpone soon joining – and chaos followed, as the Mammoths celebrated a Division 3 championship after losing three of the last four national title games (2019, 2021 and 2023 – there was no tournament in 2020).

“I’m just elated for the guys, they’ve worked their butts off,” Serpone said. “Obviously we’ve been on the other side of it. The margins are so small when you’re playing in a Final Four or a national championship game. It could’ve certainly gone either way, but [I’m] pumped it went our way because these guys have put so much into this. When you put your whole heart into something, it doesn’t always go your way. And the next time around, it’s harder to put your all into it because you don’t want to get hurt again. And these guys put their whole heart into it again, and it worked out this time. I’m thrilled for them.”

This year’s edition of PKs in the natty was much different than the last. Connecticut College won 4-1 in 2021, and after three rounds (Mohammed Nuhu and Jacob Lahlou scoring for the Mammoths in rounds one and three), Amherst had a chance to win it in the fourth. The Camels missed their fourth attempt, and with the Mammoths ahead 2-1, just one more make would seal the deal. But Silvester stood tall and made a save, giving Connecticut College a sliver of hope.

Two attempts later following a Camels make, Amherst once more had a chance to put it away in the fifth and final round with it knotted up at two. But Silvester stopped another, sending the game to sudden PKs. The teams traded goals in the first sudden death round – Amherst freshman Jacob Dinzio with a clutch tally to answer the Camels – before Connecticut College missed its second. That set up Kalinauskas to play hero.

“I didn’t see any of it,” Serpone said. “I was back behind the fence, too nervous to watch the penalties. I had zero idea which way ones went. But you could sort of hear what’s going on and then I saw the guys rush the field. Then I got out there. And for a coach, to get the opportunity to see these guys have their hard work pay off, it’s amazing. It’s so hard to get here. I was taking mental snapshots in my brain over and over and over again, because I know how hard it is. I’m just so thrilled and so happy for them.”

Despite a difficult last several years for Amherst where it trudged its way to the top of the mountain just to fall back down, the Mammoths never put their heads down. Each off-season, they just continued to focus that much more on attention to detail and perfecting the fine margins Serpone talks about that are required to win an NCAA tournament game.

All of it paid off on Saturday, and that’s exactly why smiles were coupled with tears from nearly every player wearing purple and white.

“Every great story in human history has a protagonist and a challenge,” Serpone said. “That’s how it all works, and these guys have had challenge after challenge after challenge. For them to have come together and believed and fought and cared so much about each other, that’s what it’s about. We’ve climbed the mountain twice before, and these guys lost a national final in penalty kicks in 2021 and in overtime in 2023. Imagine how disheartening that is. And for them to have fought all the way back? I’m not sure that this isn’t some script we’re living. I can’t even believe it.”

Serpone felt especially grateful for his seniors, the ones that have been to two other title games and lost, and had to battle with a pandemic when they first arrived on campus. After arriving in Amherst with nothing but uncertainty about what their college careers may look like, they left a legacy like no other class in Mammoths history has.

“This group has been through a lot,” Serpone said. “They came in during COVID, and that really uncertain time. They’ve been to three national finals and had their hearts broken twice. So for them to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? My god, am I happy.”

Amherst finished its national championship season with a 15-2-5 record.