The 6-0 victory moved Amherst to fourth in the NESCAC, one game out of first place. After the unimpressive win over a 4-8-1 Holyoke squad in Amherst's first game as a ranked team, the Lord Jeffs came out intensely in front of a spirited Homecoming crowd Saturday. The Cardinals, who have yet to win a NESCAC match and are 2-10 on the season, were helpless in the face of the Jeffs' 25-shot offensive onslaught.
Forward Ashley Harmeling '05, the NESCAC's leading scorer, nailed her 13th and 14th goals of the season to give Amherst a 2-0 lead at halftime. Montigny, who assisted Harmeling's first goal, notched a pair of her own in the second half to add to Amherst's insurmountable lead.
Rookie midfielder Sarah Shea '07 and forward Kate Ferris '05, who were substituted into the game in the second half, scored the other two goals, their first of the season. Goalie Jeanette Crowell '07 played the first 59:30 in net, grabbing four saves before yielding to backup Emily Durwood '06, who made two saves in the final 30:30 to preserve the shutout.
"After a frustrating game against Holyoke, our overwhelming win against Wesleyan was essential to raising the team's confidence," said tri-captain midfielder Kay Bradley '04. "While our starters continued to play well together, a lot of other players had the opportunity to get some minutes and the success we had with all the player combinations shows how deep our team's talent really is. It was a fun game to be a part of."
Amherst fared far better against Wesleyan than against Mount Holyoke. On paper, the Jeffs should have handled the Lyons with as much ease as they did the Cardinals, but they squandered several early scoring opportunities and just held on for the 1-0 victory.
After slipping away from an unaware Holyoke defense, Montigny scored Amherst's only goal at 5:01 on a feed from Harmeling. An aggressive but unsuccessful first half saw the Lord Jeffs miss several other scoring chances. Amherst's offensive pressure tailed off in the second half, as the Jeffs began to play on the defensive to protect their 1-0 lead.
Holyoke put on the pressure, attempting nine corner kicks to Amherst's three. None of the corners even threatened Crowell, who made four key saves for her second career shutout and was aided by a swarming defensive backfield. The defensive effort allowed Amherst to hang on to its tentative 1-0 lead for the final 85 minutes.
"We played one nice half against Mount Holyoke," observed Co-Head Coach Andrew Jones '00. "We have to earn victories; they won't be handed to us," he explained.
Montigny's early goal in a match Amherst was supposed to run away with ended up being the game-winner in a contest that could have proved disastrous without her. "Tracy Montigny is the least selfish player I have played with and her feeds are incredible," noted Harmeling. "She was essential in these past two games against Holyoke and Wesleyan, not just for her skill but for her extreme effort. She was tackling back on defense and then sprinting to make runs on attack. There is no one I'd rather play with up top."
Montigny will lead Amherst in a critical game against archrival Williams on Saturday. Williams is currently tied for first in the NESCAC with a 5-2 record, just ahead of Amherst's 4-2-1 mark.
"We will be evenly matched with Williams talent-wise," said Jones. "We will have to play attacking soccer in order to create chances. It usually comes down to who wants it more, and who makes a few plays."