Hamilton captain Marissa Halligan was clearly the difference maker on Saturday, scoring three goals in the opening 30 minutes of play to put the Continentals safely ahead. Halligan, Hamilton's fourth all-time leading scorer, now has seven goals and six assists in just a half-dozen games against Amherst over the past two seasons. "Halligan is a very good player and I think she's very underrated. She's gotten better every year in the league," said Head Coach Jim Plumer. "She's smart and goes hard and she's always in the right place."
Sophomore defender Tes Siarnacki scored the lone Jeff goal off an assist from classmate forward Alena Harrison on the power play. The tally came with just over three minutes left in the second frame to get the Jeffs back within two. But this was as much of a comeback as the Jeffs ever mustered as the Continentals notched three even-strength goals in the third period, securing the 6-1 victory. Hamilton moves on to face top-seeded Bowdoin College on Saturday as the Polar Bears host the NESCAC semifinals.
This wasn't the ending the Jeffs were hoping for, but they still take a lot away from the ice. "We came a long way and had the potential to be in the final four this year, so I was a little disappointed," said Plumer. "But the program definitely took a step forward this season."
The Jeffs continued to learn in the face of this latest setback. "Hamilton is a talented team against whom we have had repeated encounters," said Rachel Simon '07. "However, we have come to realize that we are often our own toughest competitor. The hardest thing to reconcile with this year's outcome is that it is identical to that of last year, and although we know we have taken huge leaps since then, we were unable to prove it on the scoreboard."
With the loss, the Jeffs finish the season 8-12-5, five points short of last year's record-breaking season, despite the loss of only three players to graduation. However, the Jeffs' point total was hurt by their tough non-conference schedule, which included games against top-ranked Elmira College and the University of St. Thomas and Augsburg College from Minnesota. Forward Annie Grabowski '05 and co-captain defender Sarah Mason '05 are the only graduating Jeffs, so Plumer and his players should have much to look forward to in the years to come. Mason and Grabowski finished their careers with 18 and 11 points, respectively.
"We are losing two amazing leaders from our team, but I know the rest of us are ready to fill the roles they are leaving and to carry that momentum into the next season," said Simon
Simon led the Jeffs in points this season with 12 goals and 17 assists, good enough for second in the NESCAC for defender scoring. She now has 51 points in only 48 career games. "Rachel's game on the defensive end has improved immensely," said Plumer. "She's a much better player this year than last year and not just because of the points."
Junior forward Renee Sisti was the Jeffs' leading sniper for the second consecutive season, lighting the lamp 13 times. Siarnacki and forward Leah Kaplan '06 had nine and eight goals, respectively.
"The key for us is to have everyone keep improving. We need to bring some of the young players along to make bigger contributions," said Plumer. "No matter how talented the first-years are, they are still young players. I expect a bigger impact from them next year."
Next year's squad will be the third to take the ice under Plumer. Led by current co-captain defender Amanda Mattei '06, the women should have no problem exceeding their moderate NESCAC success of the past two seasons. The squad looks to own home-ice advantage in the NESCAC Tournament for the first time in program history.
"It's absolutely a goal for us to have a home playoff game next year," said Plumer. "Our young players are maturing and we'll add some new players to the mix. I think we'll be ready to take the next step."