On Saturday, Bowdoin staked itself to an early 1-0 lead and seemed to be holding off the Jeff scoring machine. However, 12 minutes in, Amherst returned to its usual form as the Polar Bear defense broke down under pressure. The Jeffs scored eight times in the first half and the Polar Bears notched just one more score before the end of the period. Senior tri-captain Allison Aldrich, the co-NESCAC Player of the Week, scored with one second remaining to keep the momentum going squarely in Amherst's direction. Ashley Harmeling '05 continued her prodigious offensive output with a hat trick in the first half.
Bowdoin efforts in the second half were valiant but futile. The Polar Bears scored four more times but the Jeffs scored six second-half goals to keep the lead more than comfortable.
Goalkeeper Olivia D'Ambrosio '05 remains solid in net. She saved 14 Bowdoin shots while allowing only six to find the back of the net. " Nothing got by Liv in goal," said Aldrich.
D'Ambrosio has played every minute between the pipes for the Jeffs, registering a save percentage of .584 and a goals against average of 8.34.
"Our defense really came together against Bowdoin," said Aldrich. "Defenders like Laura Brown ['06], Christine Ryan ['04] and Margaret Chute ['06] came together and made some some key plays."
Ryan leads the team in caused turnovers with 20 on the season.
"Christine Ryan has been making amazing defensive stops and has been shutting down the best opposing attacker. In the past few games, she has led our team with caused turnovers, which brings momentum to our attack." said senior tri-captain Liz Martin.
"As the oldest and most experienced low-defender, Ryan has stepped up to be one of the leaders and strongest members of the defense," said D'Ambrosio. "She's our anchor."
With 15 caused turnovers, Chute has stepped easily into the starting role. "Chute has also been an integral part of the defense and midfield. She is constantly coming up with ground balls and is quick to make a good check," said Martin.
On offense, the usual suspects appeared in the scoring column. Harmeling had two hat tricks on the day in addition to two assists on Jeff scores. The junior forward leads the Jeffs in nearly all offensive categories with 38 goals, 30 assists and 68 total points.
Also recording fine numbers on the day and the season was Aldrich. The tri-captain added five goals of her own on perfect 5-5 shooting against Bowdoin. This quintet of points was Aldrich's second five-goal game of the week. Her efforts earned her shared NESCAC Player of the Week Honors with Middlebury's Nuala O'Donohoe. With 30 goals on the season, Aldrich is tied with Martin as Amherst's second-leading scorers.
Aldrich's fellow tri-captains Martin and Jackie Sargent scored a goal apiece against Bowdoin. Martin is the team's second-leading points earner with 45 points on 30 goals and 15 assists. Sargent has found the back of the net 20 times this season and has also made five assists.
"[Sargent] is in my opinion the most versatile player on the team," said D'Ambrosio. "She is strong on defense, in the midfield and on attack. It is the rare player who not only stops the other team from scoring but also adds points to our own score as well."
Chute also scored for Amherst on Saturday for her first goal of the season. Cate Smith '05 had her 10th assist of the year as well. Smith has 11 goals and 10 assists on the year. Liz Wise '07 had her first collegiate assist for the Jeffs.
All 11 first-years got into the action against Bowdoin. "[The first-years] have infused the 2004 team with new life and spirit," said D'Ambrosio. "They are talented players and awesome teammates, and their contribution to the program should not go unnoticed simply because they have an '07 tagged on to the end of their names."
Though it is easy to discredit a team's play during easier wins, the Jeffs are pleased with Saturday's performance. "For the first time, we limited our own turnovers, won almost all of the draw controls and reached our goal of stopping the other team's attack," said Martin. "We all worked well together and maintained high intensity throughout the Bowdoin game."
Amherst's play was the bright spot in yesterday's rainy afternoon. The defense allowed only 11 shots while the offense peppered Springfield's goal with 25 shots. Martin scored five goals and tallied an assist while Harmeling had two scores and four assists. Scotty Hanley '06 added a pair of goals and two assists.
The team travels to Wesleyan University on Saturday for a 12:00 p.m. game.