The women's soccer team has had to face a double disappointment this past week. Amherst's six-year winning record against Springfield College was broken last Tuesday. Despite the crowd cheering on from the sidelines, the women's soccer team could not hold off the Springfield Pride in double overtime. Just 15 seconds into the second overtime session, junior Lauren Peltier caught goalkeeper sophomore Lili Ferguson slightly off the line and ended the match 2-1.

Lately, the Jeffs have been frustrated with the fact that their tremendous talent has not translated into goals. "No one on this team has ever been on a team that consistently loses, so, individually and as a team, we're having a tough time coping with the recent losses," said senior tri-captain Simone Burke. "Unfortunately, hard work, domination and "close calls" mean nothing if you lose. The ball needs to get to the back of the net, and someone needs to get it there."

The match against Springfield was a classic example of the Jeffs' unfulfilled potential. Amherst had a few scoring bids early in the game, but the Pride scored first. Stealing the ball from a weak Amherst pass in the backfield, junior tri-captain Nicole Hanewich sped the ball to the right side of the goal. Hanewich took advantage of Ferguson being caught out of position and her 22-yard shot soared into the net.

Coming out aggressively after half-time, the Jeffs equalized the score in less than four minutes. Sophomore midfielder Meg Murphy took possession of the ball, a corner kick that bounced off of the Springfield defense, and drove a hard shot to the bottom corner of the goal. Blocked by a wall of players, the Pride's goalkeeper Sue Jenney was late in diving for the ball. Murphy's perfectly-executed shot slipped past Jenney's fingertips to tie the game at 1-1.

However, the rest of the second half was foiled by Jenney's goalkeeping ability. Midfielders junior Stephanie Yesnik and senior tri-captain Katie Coffey had shots that came very close but failed to find the back of the net for the Jeffs. Although Amherst outshot Springfield by 10-3 in the first half and 11-0 in the second, it was Peltier's goal in sudden-death that decided the match.

The Jeffs suffered a 1-0 defeat this Saturday against Tufts University as well. Sophomore Cara Cadigan won the game for the Jumbos with a header off of a corner kick by co-captain Martha Furtek. Amherst once again had the advantage in shots (10-8) and corner kicks (5-2) but failed to score. Lili Ferguson put up a great fight with six saves, while Kate Minnehan shutout Amherst's struggling offense with three saves.

Still, the team is trying to keep a positive outlook on the rest of the season. "In order to turn things around, our players need to work on their individual mentalities and on blocking out any fears or reservations that they might have," Burke said. "We need to recognize that and to step onto the field wanting to win because it's fun, not because we need to, and we need to play with controlled and focused urgency." Hopefully, the Jeffs' offense will be able to find that extra spark of aggressive energy this week. They will be playing Wheaton this Wednesday at 7:00. on Gooding Field.

"Traditionally, Wheaton is a national powerhouse. In the past four years, we've struggled against them, only coming up with one win in last year's Sweet Sixteen Playoff game when we crushed them 3-0 to knock them out of the post-season," said Burke. "For that reason, they will be coming back with fire and in order to win we need to be able to match and surpass their desire to win. Scoring is all about heart and focus, and the presence or lack of those elements on Wednesday will determine the outcome of the game."