This Saturday, the Amherst women’s hockey team returns to the scene of its national semifinal defeat last spring. Now that they have tied second-ranked Middlebury College 2-2 and blown out NESCAC rival Williams College 7-0, the Jeffs can turn their full attention to the defending national champions, SUNY-Plattsburgh.

Amherst has picked up right where they left off last year, winning close games when necessary and holding even the most talented foes to a minimum number of goals. Meanwhile, the first-ranked Cardinals have cruised through their opposition, defeating Middlebury and Williams before losing their first game in the past 36 to Manhattanville College 4-3 on Nov. 24.

The last meeting between Amherst and Plattsburgh saw the Cardinals continue an undefeated season with a 3-2 victory. While the Jeffs could only scare the powerful Cardinals last time around, their goal this time is to come out of the battle with a win.