"We definitely needed a feel-good win after Saturday's loss to Middlebury," said Head Coach Chris Paradis. "Our goals were to take care of the little things, such as ground-ball control, and taking care of the ball. We met them, and the result was one of the best games we've played all season."
The Jeffs, who trailed early after a goal from Conn sophomore Justine Baruch, rallied to roll off eight consecutive goals, three of which came from Erin Beaumont '03. Allison Aldrich '04, Mary Kate Allen '03 and Abby Ouimet '03 each scored during the run, part of the six different Amherst players who scored in the first half. The Jeffs, who at one point connected on six of seven shot attempts, outshot the Camels 23-5, taking a 9-2 lead into the intermission.
In the second half, the Camels put more pressure on the Jeffs in the midfield, turning the NESCAC contest into more of an up-and-down affair. The Jeff defense, largely untested in the first period, came through time and again after halftime, anchored by Co-captain Alison Kitay '01 and Cara Coscarelli '02. The Jeffs forced 19 of the Camels' 21 turnovers, holding the defending ECAC champions to only one goal in the second half.
"I was happy to see us play with confidence and poise," said Paradis. "Whenever you hold a team to three goals, you know you've had a great defensive effort from everybody. We did a much better job pressuring the ball in the midfield, which allowed us to cause turnovers and gain possession in better field position."
The better field position turned into four second-half goals, including a pair from Co-captain Kristin Osborn '01, who became the first player in school history to surpass the 200-point mark with three goals and an assist at Middlebury. Meg Hely '02 added her first tally of the season, and Sarah Scheessele '01 finished a pretty feed from Laura Schifter '03 to cap the scoring at 13-3. With the goal, her 17th of the season, Scheessele moved to within six of the century-mark for her career. She and Osborn, who each finished with three goals and an assist against Conn, would become only the second pair of classmates in school history to reach 100 goals.
With the win over the Camels, the Jeffs, who dropped to second in the national polls after the loss to now top-ranked Middlebury, improved to 6-1, 3-1 in NESCAC games.
Against Middlebury the Jeffs stumbled out of the gate, allowing the Panthers to take a quick 4-1 lead. But after falling behind, the Jeffs fought back to tie the game at four behind goals from Scheessele, Osborn and Ouimet.
Middlebury responded quickly as freshman Nuala O'Donohoe netted her third and fourth goals of the game with 8:41 and 6:26 left in the game. Allen added the Jeffs' fifth goal, but the Panthers widened their lead and went into the break up 9-5.
After the half the Panthers continued their offensive onslaught, scoring twice in the first 24 seconds of the half. Osborn and Scheessele added another goal apiece, but the Panthers kept up their torrid offensive pace. With 13:33 left in the game the Panthers held a 16-7 lead.
The Jeffs were able to pull within six on Scheessele's third goal of the game, but that was the closest they would get. The Panthers won 18-11, handing the Jeffs their worst defeat since a 16-9 loss to the same opponent in 1998.
Middlebury continues to be the Jeffs' nemesis, as the loss in Vermont was the Jeffs' first road loss since the 1999 NCAA Championship game, a 10-9 loss to the Panthers.
Scheessele led the Jeffs with three goals and two assists in the game, while Osborn added three goals and an assist.
The Jeffs next face Wellesley College. The game against Wellesley, an NCAA Tournament team one year ago, is the last of four non-conference games on the Jeffs' regular-season schedule, before the squad finishes the season with five straight conference match-ups.
That stretch begins on Saturday, when the Wesleyan University Cardinals come calling for the 2001 Little III opener. After the Wesleyan game, the Jeffs head out on the road to battle Tufts University, before returning to Hitchcock Field for their final two home games of the season, against Bowdoin and Bates Colleges. The regular season concludes for the Jeffs on April 28 at Williams College, when they will face the currently fourth-ranked Ephs.
The Jeffs can lock up a spot in the first-ever NESCAC tournament with a win over Wesleyan.