In the next 11 games, Amherst went 9-0-2. The mammoth unbeaten streak propelled the Jeffs to 11th spot in the national rankings. The 2006-07 season has been quite a ride for the Jeffs, who rely on a wealth of young talent. The first two games of the New Year were shutouts by first-year goalie Krystyn Elek. Both games were in the same weekend, as Amherst dispatched NESCAC opponents Hamilton College and Trinity College, 3-0 and 4-0 respectively.
Senior goalie Lindsay Grabowski got her second win in the following game, as the Jeffs scored a season-high seven goals. Forwards Molly Malloy '10 and Elizabeth Ditmore '08 led the scoring, posting two goals apiece with Malloy netting the game-winner in addition to the final goal of the game. First-year forwards Kate Dennett and Michelle McGann and first-year defensemen Alyssa Chwick and Kirsten Dier all had two assists on the night.
Then, the Jeffs went on the road, but three of them were going home. "We have three girls who live in Minnesota, and our team stayed at the three houses," explained tri-captain forward Kirsten Forsberg about the team's Interterm trip to Minnesota. "You really get to know the people in your house a lot better because it gives you a chance to spend some time with people you don't normally."
While the trip was a good team-bonding experience, it was also a good playing experience. Amherst played twice and won both games. The first was a 2-0 victory over Bethel University. Sophomore forward Anna MacLean scored her seventh goal of the season to put the Jeffs ahead, and Dier added an insurance tally halfway through the first period. That capped the scoring, and Elek held on for Amherst's fifth shutout of the season.
The next victory was even more impressive. The University of Wisconsin-River Falls was a top-10 team. But the Falcons couldn't fly with the Jeffs; Amherst scored five straight goals en route to a 5-1 win. "Wisconsin-River Falls was a top-10 team at the time, so it was an amazing end to the trip and a big confidence booster to be able to beat such a strong team," said Forsberg. "The trip was definitely a good team bonding experience."
"We showed we can match up just as well if not better than teams like them," added MacLean about Wisconsin-River Falls. "We grew closer as a team and gained exposure to Midwest college hockey and won. The trip definitely gave us confidence as a team."
Returning to the East Coast, Amherst kept up its winning ways. Connecticut College was the next victim as the Jeffs found the back of the net six times in a 6-1 NESCAC win. Karega led the way again, this time with a natural hat trick; her second three-goal outing in as many games. All three of Karega's goals came in the second period. Malloy added two goals in the third, and McGann tacked on another with less than a minute left in regulation. Karega assisted on McGann's tally for her fourth point of the night.
Then, Amherst traveled to Brunswick, Me., to play NESCAC rival and national powerhouse Bowdoin College The Jeffs jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a goal by junior forward Natanya Khazzam and two by sophomore forward Lindsey Harrington. Both teams were held scoreless in the second. Harrington notched the third Amherst goal on the power play in the final stanza. The Polar Bears scored with less than five minutes remaining in the game. With an extra attacker on the ice and the clock ticking down to less than a minute, Bowdoin pulled within one goal of Amherst. With just 11 seconds left to play, the Polar Bears tied the game at three goals apiece. The five-minute overtime session was goal-free, and Amherst settled for a tie. Elek had a busy night with 36 saves. Even though it wasn't a victory, the Jeffs preserved their unbeaten streak, and showed marked improvement from the first time they faced Bowdoin. The next day, the Jeffs earned another tie, skating to a 2-2 draw with Colby College. Dennett scored both Amherst goals.
This past weekend, Amherst matched its four- and three-goal outputs against Trinity and Hamilton from earlier in the season. Senior defenseman Tes Siarnacki scored twice on the first day, and Harrington tallied her sixth and seventh goals of the season on the second day.
In a rare scheduling event, the Jeffs had three games in a row this weekend. The third game seemed to take its toll on Amherst as they fell to then eighth-ranked Utica College. The 4-1 loss snapped Amherst's unbeaten streak, but the Jeffs are still in excellent position. With just five regular season games left, the 12-5-2 Jeffs have assured a winning season for the first time since the 2003-04 season, and have the potential to break the school record of 13 wins in a season. "We are excited. We have had a great month this January," said MacLean. "But we also know there's a lot left to do and the post-season is just around the corner where we need to really come to play."
The Jeffs have this weekend off, and will hit the ice again on Feb. 6 against Holy Cross at 7 p.m. in Orr Rink.