Consistency has been the biggest stumbling block for the field hockey Jeffs, as the young squad has shown both brilliance and growing pains in the first three-quarters of the 2005 season. Amherst's record stands at a respectable 5-6 (2-4 NESCAC) with just three games left to play, all of them in conference. The Jeffs have struggled to be consistent from game to game, but also from moment to moment; often, a half of excellent play will be followed by a 35-minute stanza of defensive ping-pong, or the opposite will hold true. Amherst has proven that it can play with the best in the country-on Wednesday the team narrowly lost to ninth-ranked Middlebury College, and a few weeks earlier Amherst fell in overtime to the then ninth-ranked (now number-eight) squad from Springfield College. Amherst also battled to a scoreless half with sixth-ranked Bowdoin College before ultimately falling, 2-0.

Indeed, it is a testament to the strength of Amherst's schedule that the Jeffs face five top-20 teams in a 14 game season. Unfortunately for Amherst, the play that kept the squad within a goal of these elite squads has been elusive against weaker foes. On Saturday, Amherst gave bottom-feeder Colby College its first NESCAC win in a 2-1 contest, two days after Amherst lost by a three-goal margin to 20th-ranked Babson College.

Some of Amherst's inconsistency can be attributed to the team's youth. Seven of the 23 Jeffs are first-years; two of them, defender Catherine Calvert and midfielder Alyssa Dudzik, have earned starting spots. Calvert leads the NESCAC in defensive saves with an astounding six on the year. Other first-time starters include goalkeeper Kathleen Boucher '08, who has stepped in admirably to fill the booties left behind by K.C. Cosentino '05, a stalwart between the pipes for much of her collegiate career. Boucher has amassed a 0.852 save percentage and a stingy average of 1.44 goals per game, good for fifth and fourth in the NESCAC, respectively. She has the third-most saves of any goalie in the league. Boucher's classmates, defender Lauren Benson and forward Christa Porcaro, have also stepped up admirably to the task of filling the cleats of the departed class of 2005. Porcaro's two goals and four assists make her one of Amherst's most prolific points scorers.

These newcomers have complemented the play of Amherst's stalwarts admirably. The team's senior trio, tri-captain forwards Molly Gilbert and Erin O'Hare and tri-captain midfielder Katherine Skrivan have tallied five assists and nine of the Jeffs' 16 goals. Gilbert's three goals and three assists make her the team's point leader; Skrivan's three goals tie her for the team lead in that category. Also contributing offensively have been midfielders Rachel Carr-Harris '07, a three-year starter, and return starter Carolyn Shea '08. Both have scored two goals apiece. Amy Watson '07 has returned to anchor the defense for a third season.

When all of these players are at their best, gelling, Amherst can play with anyone. The Jeffs will find out just what they're capable of in the final three games of the season, which will determine their postseason fate. "Really anything could happen in the games to come, since all of the teams in the NESCAC are pretty evenly skilled," said O'Hare.

Homecoming opponent and Little Three foe Wesleyan University's NESCAC record stands at 3-3, while Wednesday's opponent, Connecticut College, is tied with Amherst at sixth in the NESCAC with a 2-4 record. All three teams need wins to strengthen their position going into the conference championship tournament. The top seven teams in the league participate, and Wesleyan, Conn. and Amherst are currently holding onto the bottom three rungs of the postseason ladder. Amherst closes out the season at Williams College, and while on paper the Ephs are the superior team, the Jeffs always shine their brightest against their archrivals.

The Jeffs are confident that they have what it takes. "When we are really talking and communicating in a game, a win is inevitable," said Porcaro. Added Watson, "We definitely plan on making the NESCAC Tournament and hopefully shaking things up for other teams."