This week, however, started with an out-of-conference matchup. On Wednesday, the fifth-ranked Jeffs faced off against the fourth-ranked Elmira College Soaring Eagles. The game was not without tension, as the Soaring Eagles defeated the Lord Jeffs in the NCAA quarterfinals last year, ending the Jeffs’ season just short of the Final Four. This Wednesday was a more memorable performance for Amherst, with an epic 4-3 overtime victory.
After an early Elmira goal at 4:08 in the first period, Amherst responded with dominant possession and sustained pressure. Two Amherst goals would soon follow with five minutes left in the period. Senior tri-captain Lindsey Harrington scored first, assisted by Courtney Hanlon ’11 and Kate Dennett ’10, followed by Tarasai Karega ’09, who got her 99th career point on a perfectly placed shot from the top of the circle, right below the crossbar.
Elmira did not wait long to respond, making a power play goal just 34 seconds before the end of the period. The shots on goal in the first period were strongly in favor of the Jeffs (18 to 7). Late in the second period, Hanlon put the Jeffs ahead again 3-2. Her goal was assisted by Harrington and Michelle McGann ’10. Once again, the Soaring Eagles did not wait long to bounce back, netting a goal just a minute later. The game would remain at a stalemate until the third minute of sudden-death overtime. After a tremendous Elmira scoring opportunity thwarted by the stellar goaltending of junior goaltender Krystyn Elek, the Jeffs were able to rebound and transition quickly, generating an odd-man rush. Emily Vitale ’12 took a powerful shot, which created a juicy rebound after bouncing off the Elmira goalie. This time, Vitale was able to bury it, earning her second game-winning goal of her first season at Amherst. Dennett and Karega were each credited with an assist, earning Karega her 100th career point. The celebration lasted several minutes, while the players congratulated their teammates for the well-earned first OT win of the season, in front of a euphoric Amherst crowd.
This weekend, Amherst faced the Connecticut College Camels twice. The first game (at Conn. College) was a decisive win, 6-0, while the second one (at Amherst) was more of a challenge for the Jeffs, who were able to grab the win (1-0) with a lone goal by McGann with less than five minutes left in the game.
This weekend marked the end of the regular season for the Jeffs. Looking back on the season, Elek said, “We struggled a little in the beginning, but I think we’ve gained a lot of maturity as a team. At a certain point we realized that winning wasn’t just going to come to us; we had to earn every point. We’re at a peak right now, which is a great spot to be in entering the playoffs.” Amherst will host its NESCAC quarterfinal against the Hamilton College Continentals at Orr Rink on Saturday at 7 p.m.