After a lengthy unbeaten streak, the women's soccer team ended the fall season on a disappointing note. The Jeffs concluded their regular season with a 2-1 loss to archrival Williams College on Saturday. The next day, they lost 1-0 to Middlebury College in the quarterfinals of the NESCAC Tournament.
The Jeffs knew that the match against Williams would be challenging, since the Ephs hold the number one spot in the conference. "It's difficult going into a game where the team you're up against is undefeated," commented forward Kyla Woodhouse '11. "But I think a lot of the statistical rankings and things like that cancel out when the match is between two really competitive rivals."
Slippery conditions due to rain, caused both teams to struggle to maintain possession of the ball and to suffer offensively. Nevertheless, Amherst's forward Natalie Ferraiolo '09 scored the first goal of the game. Ferraiolo managed to run the ball up the field, outwitting three Eph defenders on the way, before she drilled a shot just outside the penalty box to hand the Jeffs a 1-0 lead.
Eph forward Clare Gallagher responded with back-to-back goals just after the 33rd minute of the first half. Following a crossing pass from Sara Wild, Gallagher placed a shot in the bottom left of the goal for an equalizer. Four minutes later, she scored once again with a high shot in the upper corner. The positioning of Gallagher's second shot made it difficult for Amherst goalkeeper Lili Ferguson '10 to attempt a save. Although Amherst led 3-0 in corner kicks during the second half, neither the Jeffs nor the Ephs scored, and the Jeffs ended their regulation season with a loss.
Third-seeded Amherst faced off against the sixth seed, Middlebury, on Sunday. Within 12 minutes of the starting whistle, forward Stephanie Yesnik '09 made a header that drew the crowd's attention. Ultimately though, the ball was blocked by a Middlebury defender. The Panthers also had chances to score early on, but Ferguson made several incredible saves to finish the first half at a scoreless draw.
In the second half, a pair of corner kicks offered the Jeffs excellent opportunities to score. Midfielder Meg Murphy '10 made contact on one, but the ball flew over the net. The Panthers' offense eventually grew too heated for the Amherst defenders, although defensive specialist Kate Moriarty '09 succeeded in neutralizing some dangerous moments. Middlebury's Caitlin Parker scored with a close-range shot that hit the net just inside the post.
Amherst's best chance to equalize the score occurred with less than four minutes remaining. Murphy was within range and had the advantage of being able to set up her shot, but her left-footed kick resulted in a ball that just went wide. With 30 seconds left on the clock, the Jeffs had a free kick, but no one was in place to knock the ball in and keep the season alive.
The loss ended the Jeffs' hopes for another NESCAC Championship run, and they concluded their fall season at 5-6-4 overall (5-2-2 NESCAC).
"We had a tough season, with a lot of injuries and setbacks, and a lot of things just never went our way ... Middlebury won because they finished on their opportunities and we didn't," said Woodhouse. "In the end the only thing that matters in tournament play is if you win. It was frustrating and a huge letdown to work that hard and come away with nothing, but that's just the way things turn out sometimes."