Thursday's victory had the makings of a blowout from the opening whistle. "We were really pumped and ready to go from the first second of the game," said co-captain and defender Amy Watson '07. "We scored really early and that started our momentum and really set the pace of the game."
After just five minutes of play, Amherst got on the board with a goal by sophomore forward Caki Guinee off an assist from junior forward Christa Porcaro. Just 10 minutes later, junior midfielder Sarah Tracy added to the lead with her first goal of the 2006 campaign. Both scores came during scrambles in front of the cage.
Unlike in previous games, in which the Jeffs' intensity slipped and opponents crept back into the game, this time the Jeffs kept pounding the Beavers. Just 13 minutes into the second half, Amherst struck again. Junior defender Lauren Benson took a free hit outside the circle, and first-year forward Molly Malloy re-directed the shot past the Babson goalie. Putting an exclamation mark on the game, Carr-Harris scored off Porcaro's second assist of the day with 19 seconds left on the clock. In her first start of her career, sophomore goalie Jane Mostue was strong in goal as the defense shut out the Beavers.
Saturday's victory was a bit more nerve-racking and came down to a final shot. Again the Jeffs scored early, this time as first-year forward Christina Hopkins converted on a penalty stroke. Malloy then added a goal, which seemed to put the Jeffs in the driver's seat. However, Colby took advantage of one of the momentum swings that have been plaguing Amherst all season. The Mules were able to score twice in the final eight minutes of the first half to tie the score 2-2 at the break. "The turning point was during halftime," said Watson. "We had a really good talk and decided that we weren't going to lose and we were going to outplay and out-hustle Colby for the rest of the game until we got the win. We came out strong and held our own."
The Jeffs peppered the Colby defense with shots, but were not able to net a goal. However, the White Mules were held scoreless as well, thanks to some key saves by Mostue. With the score still at 2-2 at the end of regulation, the game went into overtime. Showing little signs of tiring, Malloy was able to find the back of the cage again just a minute into overtime, scoring the game winner off an assist from sophomore midfielder Alyssa Dudzik. "I think [Saturday's] game really brought out our character as a team and showed how much we have grown by not giving up after Colby came back," said Dudzik. "In the last two games, I think our play as a team had sharpened up and we're taking care of those little details that have, in the past, cost us games. Our talent and team chemistry have been there all along, it's just finally starting to shine now that we're scoring and finishing out games."
Three of the team's final four games come against NESCAC opponents, so the Jeffs have a great opportunity to enter the tournament on a roll. "At this point in the season, for us, every game is vital," emphasized Dudzik. "We're playing with the mindset that we're already in the playoffs; every game is a must-win."
Currently, the Jeffs are tied with Connecticut College and Bates College for seventh place in the conference. On Oct. 24 they will challenge the Camels in a head-to-head match-up. On Saturday Amherst travels to sixth-place Wesleyan University with the opportunity to gain some ground in the standings. The regular season closes out on Oct. 28 with a home game against arch-rival Williams College.
The Jeffs are heading into the home stretch on a wave of confidence. "We see no limits to where this season could take us," said Watson. "So making [the] NCAA [Tournament] is also a definite possibility."
NESCAC Notes
As is typical for mid-October, the NESCAC standings are still wide open. Williams suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday, falling to Middlebury College 2-0. The loss moved the Ephs and Panthers into a three-way tie with Bowdoin College for first place. Each has a 6-1 conference record. This week's games will have a huge impact on the bottom part of the standings.