Against Middlebury on Friday, the Jeffs came out on fire in front of a strong contingent of home fans. Less than four minutes into the contest, tri-captain forward Kirsten Forsberg '07 put Amherst on the board. "Scoring that goal against Middlebury is definitely one of the highlights of my career here," she said. "I think scoring so early in the game gave our team the momentum, and we just ran with it the rest of the game."
The start of the second period was reminiscent of the first, as Amherst forward Michelle McGann '10 scored less than four minutes in. The Jeffs kept pressuring the Panthers; to the uninformed viewer, it was not apparent who the lower-ranked team was. "The entire game was fast-paced, and both teams were fighting hard on the ice," Forsberg recalled. "When you are beating or tied to a team as good as Middlebury it is really easy to get caught up in that excitement and lose focus. I think our team did an incredible job of sticking to our game and being composed on the ice."
Amherst was able to control the game until the Jeffs were whistled for two penalties with less than two minutes remaining in the second period. The three-man penalty kill unit hung tough for the remainder of the session, but the Panthers were able to capitalize when they returned to the ice. With another penalty coming to the Jeffs on a delayed call, Middlebury scored just 28 seconds after the puck dropped in the third period. Much to the dismay of the Amherst families, friends and fans, Middlebury was able to keep its two-man advantage. It only took the Panthers 22 seconds to tie the game. "It was disappointing at the time, but it is uplifting knowing that their goals were scored when we were down two players," said forward Elizabeth Ditmore '08.
After the brief-albeit costly-lapse, the Jeffs regained their composure and turned in one of their most exciting performances to date. With a combined 23 shots in the third period, there was no shortage of action. First-year goalie Krystyn Elek kept Amherst in the game with a slew of clutch saves. Elek also had some help from a goalie's best friend, as two Middlebury players clanged shots off the crossbar and the post. Amherst had many quality chances as well, but was unable to regain the lead. "It was Middlebury who was scrambling score in the third period and who was knocked off their game," said Forsberg. "Had it not been for that string of penalties at end of the second and beginning of the third [period], we would have won that game."
Both teams' intensity carried over into the five-minute overtime session. Middlebury held a 7-2 shot advantage, but the Amherst defense was on the top of its game. Senior tri-captain defenseman Tes Siarnacki did her best Elek impression 25 seconds into the sudden death period, stopping a sure goal and forcing a rare penalty shot. "It was a pretty slow-motion moment, actually," Siarnacki described. "The whole third period I had been extremely focused on not letting them score, and then Elek made a save that left half the net exposed, and I was standing there watching as the puck bounced out from somewhere right to a Middlebury stick, so I dove across the goal line and I felt the puck hit me a few times. I didn't actively try to cover it, though that's what the referee called as the penalty in the end. During the penalty shot, I couldn't watch, and all I could think was 'They're not going to score.' And they didn't. Elek really stepped up, and I'm proud of her."
Elek had 39 saves on the night and certainly has been a big part of the Jeffs' success this season. Ranked third in the conference for goals against average and save percentage, the first-year has played more minutes than any of the NESCAC's top 10 goalies.
The following game, Amherst's last home conference contest, was a day of firsts. It was the first time that an Amherst women's ice hockey team beat Williams, and it was the first time the program amassed 14 wins in a season.
Both teams were a little sluggish in the opening frame. Williams took five penalties in the first 12:33 of the contest, and as a result, neither team was able to get into a rhythm. Amherst boasts the best power play unit in the NESCAC, but was unable to convert on any of the early opportunities. It was Williams who got a man-advantage tally in the beginning of the second period, but that just opened the floodgates. The Jeffs and Ephs put on a show for the 700 fans in attendance, combining for nine goals the rest of the game. "Having fans cheering us on definitely helped us pick up the intensity in the second and third periods," said defenseman Alyssa Chwick '10.
A goal by forward Anna MacLean '09 tied the game. Amherst's other two second-period goals-by Ditmore and Chwick-came from long range. "My goal was ridiculous, and I can only laugh about it," said Ditmore. "I dumped the puck into their zone so I could get off the ice, and I happened to dump it at the goalie. I started skating to the bench and suddenly people started cheering. It was really just a lucky bounce on my part, but I'll take it." Chwick's goal was a slap shot from the blue line to tie the score at three apiece with just six seconds remaining in the period.
Senior forward Rachel Simon gave the Jeffs their second lead of the game in the third, but Williams answered. Karega provided the heroics in overtime, giving Amherst the 5-4 win. "The seniors had lost to Williams seven times in a row, which is incredibly frustrating," said Forsberg. "We all wanted to beat Williams, and are ecstatic that we got a chance to before we graduated."
"How did it feel to beat Williams for the first time?" Siarnacki asked rhetorically. "Like fireworks and ice cream and sunshine and hugs, everywhere."
NESCAC Notes
Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the top four seeds of the NESCAC Tournament have been determined. They are, in order: Middlebury, Bowdoin College, Amherst and Hamilton College. The tournament will commence Feb. 24.