"We're not a team that loses a lot, and for us to lose two in a row is almost unheard of," said goalie Brooke Diamond '03.
Yet, after a tough 1-0 loss at Bates College the previous Saturday, and a controversial 3-2 overtime loss to Clark University last Wednesday, the Jeffs found themselves in
exactly that position, desperately needing a win with the tougher part of their schedule still looming in the future.
Enter midfielder Cathy Poor '02.
Poor, who scored both goals-including a dramatic 90th-minute header to force overtime-in Wednesday's loss to Clark, came through again on Saturday, scoring off a Jenny Rossman '04 corner in the 56th minute to lift the Jeffs to the 1-0 win.
"She's just a big-time player," said Diamond. "There's not much to say except that right now she is leading us in every sense of the word."
With the tough loss to Clark, Saturday's league tilt with Conn. gained a rare sense of urgency for such an early season game.
"Knowing that three teams aren't going to make the NESCAC tournament, and after already having a loss against Bates, we knew that we really needed to get on track with our conference games," said Diamond.
Poor agreed. "Our Clark loss and the intensity with which we played them just got us more determined to win this all-important conference game," she said.
The Jeffs did just that, thanks to Poor and to the return of starting sweeper Kate Shipley '03, sidelined for two games with a sprained ankle.
Poor noted that although injury has harmed the team, the women are still improving. "
With each game and practice, we become more familiar with each other and our style of play," she said. "We have the ability to improve after each of our games and practices. Injuries have led to a lack of continuity in practices and games, detracting from our focus."
The team's focus was aided by Shipley's return to the backfield. Shipley's presence helped to re-energize the Amherst defense, and the Jeffs would limit Conn. to only seven shots on goal for the game, and no corner kicks.
"[Shipley] brings such a tremendous sense of calm to our backfield," said Diamond. "Even when she wasn't 100 percent against Conn., just having her there made everyone else that much more confident."
Despite a scoreless first half, the added confidence showed. The Jeffs dominated the first 45 minutes, outshooting the Camels 10-3 in the opening frame.
The hosts continued their offensive pressure into the second half, forcing three corner kicks early in the period.
On the third, midway through the 56th minute, Rossman sent
another perfect ball into the middle of the box, and Poor finished it off with a header to the left side of the net.
The Camels would never seriously threaten down the stretch, as Shipley combined with Co-captain Meg Riley '01, Margaret Rubin '02 and Brianne Watkins '03 to pitch an impressive shutout.
For the Camels, Poor's effort was deja vu all over again. When the two teams met in 1998, Poor, then a first-year, tallied a goal and an assist in Amherst's 3-1 victory.
In their lone meeting last year, Poor scored in the 37th minute, providing all of the offense in the Jeffs' 1-0 win.
All told, the junior racked up her team and league-leading seventh goal of the season, becoming the youngest Amherst soccer player ever to surpass the 20-goal plateau with her 21st career tally.
With the win, the Jeffs improved to 3-2, 2-1 in the NESCAC, heading into yesterday's afternoon date with the Trinity College Bantams, the first game of a key four-game road swing.
Saturday, the Jeffs head to
Bowdoin College for a NESCAC showdown, another big early-season test.
"I think our adversity from last week's two losses will only make us a stronger team in the long run," said Diamond. "But Saturday's game is huge. If we beat Bowdoin, we'll be right back in the hunt for the regular season title."
With the win, the Jeffs improved to 3-2, 2-1 in the NESCAC, heading into yesterday's afternoon date with the Trinity College Bantams, the first game of a key four-game road swing.
Saturday, the Jeffs head to
Bowdoin College for a NESCAC showdown, another big early-season test.