When a talented team finally clicks on the field, you know it. The Amherst field hockey team has done just that in the last couple of weeks, putting together a four-game winning streak and improving their record to 8-4 overall and 4-3 in the conference. The Jeffs defeated NESCAC opponents Colby College and Wesleyan University and had an impressive performance against non-conference rival Babson College en route to a 2-1 victory.
The Jeffs looked sharp from the first whistle against Babson, creating two scoring opportunities in the first five minutes and capitalizing on one of them to take the lead early in the game. The goal came as a result of some fantastic stick skills and speed from tri-captain midfielder Alyssa Dudzik ’09. Dudzik found teammate Molly Malloy ’10, who blasted the ball past the Babson goalie. Despite some aggressive play from Babson, the Amherst defense continued to repel each attack and, with just under 14 minutes left in the first half, forward Liz Schink ’11 connected on a cross from the right side to give the Jeffs a 2-0 lead. Babson got on the scoreboard minutes later, as the Beavers converted a penalty corner to cut Amherst’s lead to one. The Jeffs created multiple scoring chances in the second half, but were unable to convert on any, and the match ended in a 2-1 victory for Amherst.
“It was tempting to try to go through Babson’s defense, but we continued to switch fields and use our passing game rather than carrying the ball too much under pressure,” said rookie forward Carly Dudzik. “Earlier in the season, although we controlled the game and kept the ball on our offensive end for the majority of the game, we were having trouble finishing. But against Babson, Molly Malloy and Liz Schink did an awesome job of finishing key plays.”
Amherst displayed more of the same poise and team chemistry in the opening minutes of its contest against the Wesleyan Cardinals. The Jeffs earned a penalty corner less than a minute into the game, and forward Haley Douds snuck her shot past the Cardinals’ goalkeeper and into the back of the net to give the Jeffs an early advantage. Midfielder Carly Leahy ’11 and defender Sarah McCarrick each tallied a goal in the second half en route to a 3-0 Amherst victory.
“We came out strong and treated Wesleyan like they were Bowdoin or Middlebury and absolutely took it to them from the start, evidenced by our goal before the first minute ticked away,” said tri-captain defender Louise Stevenson ’09. “We kind of lagged in the middle of the game, but a beautiful goal by Chrissy [Leahy] and an amazing stroke by Sarah definitely brought the intensity back to our game. Wesleyan is not a team that will ever back down or stop playing, so we definitely kept at them throughout the entire game to ensure our W.”
The next couple of games will serve as true tests for the Jeffs. On Saturday, they play host to archrival Williams College, and a win is necessary to ensure a good seed for the conference tournament. The team then faces Trinity College, which recently handed Bowdoin its first loss in 31 games. If the Jeffs can get a win against Trinity, it will give them a huge boost of confidence going into the NESCAC Tournament.
“Our current four-game winning streak is extremely important to the confidence and morale of the team,” said the younger Dudzik. “Williams and Trinity are two difficult opponents, and these wins are really going to help our attitude going into the games. Particularly the Williams game, Family Weekend and Senior Day are really going get everyone excited and ready to play. It seems like everyone is on the same page at this point in the season and we plan to win some big games.”