And as their opponents improved, so did the Jeffs. The sixth-ranked women's lacrosse team won two close conference games this weekend after blowing out non-conference opponent Wheaton College on Wednesday. For perspective, Amherst is currently ranked second in NESCAC standings, while Wheaton claims the second spot in its New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) rankings. The only thing these teams have in common, however, is their number-two status. On the strength of four goals and four assists by junior attacker Alyssa Briody, the Jeffs trampled the Lyons 18-3. Earlier this season, Amherst similarly disposed of NEWMAC frontrunner Springfield College by a score of 12-4.
The difference between these New England neighbors is accented by the tight NESCAC competition this weekend. Amherst took an 8-1 record up to Colby College on Saturday, having fallen only to conference foe Bowdoin College. The White Mules of Colby, however, had just beaten Bowdoin on April 19 to extend their win streak to 11 games.
"We knew our game against Colby would be tough and we were prepared for that," said Briody. "Colby is such a spirited team and has had such a good season that we knew they were not going to give up at any point in the game. Historically, we've always had such a strong program so I feel like every game we have this season teams are always really excited to play us, hoping that this is year they'll beat Amherst. We really have to prove ourselves every game."
The game was a battle. Perhaps using momentum from their huge win against Bowdoin, the Mules scored three goals in the first four minutes to take an early 3-0 lead. Then, sophomore attacker Maddie Hoeg righted Amherst's ship, knocking in two tallies to spark a six-goal run for the Jeffs. Attacker Dana Kuper '07 scored once during that span, while rookie Amy Craig notched a natural hat-trick. Colby got back on the board to make the score 6-4, but with a bit of foreshadowing, Briody scored as time expired in the first frame to give the Jeffs a three-goal lead.
Amherst hung onto its lead as Briody assisted Craig's fourth of the game, but three straight goals by the Mules brought them back within one. The Jeffs rallied again, with two goals by Briody and one by Kuper, but four Colby tallies down the stretch forced overtime.
The teams duked it out in the first extra session, but neither team could score. It was more of the same in the second extra frame until Briody found the back of the net with just 3.9 seconds remaining to give the Jeffs the narrow win. Goaltender Linda McEvoy '08 finished with 11 saves as the NESCAC's top-ranked defense stymied yet another opponent.
"It felt great to beat Colby at their home, at their Senior Day and to break their 11-game win streak," said Briody. "It was hard to go into overtime because they had the momentum having just come back from a three-goal deficit but we really proved that we could handle the pressure by making a bunch of key stops on defense before scoring at the very end of overtime."
The ability to win close games is an Amherst strength. "We went into the game with a clear and attainable goal and succeeded," said Craig. "We were all really proud that we were able to perform under such extreme pressure."
The pressure continued the next day when the Jeffs faced Bates College. The Bobcats are NESCAC cellar dwellers, but that certainly doesn't mean much in this conference. The lead has gone to and fro as many times as Forrest Gump's ping-pong ball. "I do think we underestimated their ability and went into the game with nonchalant attitudes," said Hoeg. "However, that game proved how great of a team we truly are. Despite the many turnovers, we were still able to pull away victoriously. Since we are one of the top teams in the NESCAC a lot of teams are gunning for us. Many of these teams, including Bates, have nothing to lose and do put up a valiant fight."
Though Bates is currently ranked ninth in the conference, the game was surprisingly even. The Bobcats narrowly outshot the Jeffs 19-18, and Amherst held a slight edge in draw controls. The only significant statistical differences were in goals and free-position shots. Amherst converted four of its seven free-position attempts while Bates was a meager 1-5. As a result, Amherst earned the win by a 9-8 margin.
Hoeg notched the game winner with 2:37 remaining in the game to complete a three-point outing with two goals and an assist. Noonan had three goals and Craig added two. Briody and junior midfielder Liz Wise tallied a goal apiece as well.
Midfielder Rachel Lewis paced the defense with four ground balls, and McEvoy collected seven saves for her ninth win of the season.
The Jeffs hope to add to their current seven-game win streak in the final two games of the regular season-but it won't be easy. Today, Tufts University will visit, and a Jumbo win would give them the same conference record as the Jeffs. In the regular season finale on Saturday, Amherst will face the second-ranked Panthers from Middlebury, Vt. Two Amherst wins this week will give the Jeffs the first seed of the NES-
CACs, set to begin on Sunday.
"We are going into this next week focused and excited," said Craig. "We are having a great season so far, and I don't doubt that we will be able to fight through until the end."
NESCAC Notes
The NESCAC standings are rather volatile right now, and a single loss could drop a team several spots. The Jeffs are in the thick of it at the top, while Trinity, Bates and Connecticut Colleges and Wesleyan University are in danger of missing the postseason tournament.