For the Amherst field hockey team, it was just another week of brilliant play and stellar all-around performances.
"We couldn't be feeling any better right now," said Co-captain Gretchen Bowe '01 after a 2-1 win over top-ranked Springfield College and Connecticut College and a 4-0 thrashing of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). "I feel like we can step up to any challenge right now."
The week started as the Jeffs traveled to Springfield to battle the Pride. The Jeffs, winless and scoreless in two previous contests against Springfield, also a 1999 NCAA Final Four squad, came up with their strongest effort of the season, controlling every aspect of the game.
After controlling possession in the game's opening minutes, the Jeffs broke through eight minutes in, when Robin Ackerman '02 slotted a perfect pass through the penalty circle to Marcy Busch '02, wide open on the weak side of the goal.
Busch slapped a shot past Springfield goalie Liz Sena, giving the Jeffs the early lead.
Springfield retaliated just over six minutes later, with Trisha Jendrick converting a rebound of a Beth Sensing '02 save.
After the goal, however, the Amherst defense clamped down, and the Pride would manage only one more shot on goal.
On the other side of the ball, the Jeffs' midfield, anchored by Bowe and Co-captain Mairin Brady '02, took over.
The Jeffs put together a half-dozen solid scoring opportunities before halftime, and kept the offensive pressure on into the second half.
Just 4:36 after halftime, the pressure paid off, as Abby Ouimet '03 knocked a rebound past Sena, giving the Jeffs the lead for good.
For the game, the Jeffs outshot the Pride 11-4, wearing down a previously untested Springfield defense. The Pride offense would be unable to equalize down the stretch. "We've come together very well defensively," said Laurie Smith '02. "As the season has gone on, we've been playing with more and more confidence in the backfield, and everyone is really stepping up."
The dominating play continued through Thursday's blowout of WPI, as the Jeffs received a pair of goals from Bowe, and one goal each from Busch and Ouimet, cruising to the 4-0 win. Saturday, however, would be a tougher test for the Jeffs. "
Conn. had a great start to their season, undefeated before Saturday," said Brady. "To get a win over them [would] send a message to the rest of NESCAC that last year was not a fluke and that we are not to be taken lightly."
After the Jeffs took a 1-0 lead to halftime on Bowe's sixth goal in as many games, the Camels equalized early in the second half, scoring 5:20 in.
The Jeffs, however, answered right back. Bowe slipped a pass to Brady, waiting on the left wing, and the junior fired a shot into the left side of the box to put the hosts back on top.
Brady's second goal of the season would prove to be the game-winner, as the defense, which came up with four huge defensive saves on Saturday, weathered a late Camel rally to preserve the three-win week.
"It was great to beat Springfield after losing to them in strokes the past two years and I think we carried that momentum into the Conn. game," said Smith.
The question now for the Jeffs will be whether they can carry that momentum over into this week, with games against Mount Holyoke College on Thursday and at Bowdoin College on Saturday.
"Mount Holyoke always comes at us strong," said Bowe. "As for Bowdoin, it's going to be a big game for us."
Brady agreed.
"They are always a powerhouse, they got a bid to the NCAAs last year, and we're going to have to play very well to get the win. But if we play the way we can, we should come out of this week with another two wins."