#17 Amherst Tops Field Hockey, 3-1
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (Sept. 30, 2009) – The Amherst College field hockey team, ranked 17th in the latest National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Poll, picked up a 3-1 victory over non-conference foe Mount Holyoke College this evening at the Mount Holyoke Turf Field. It was the Lord Jeffs sixth straight triumph over the Lyons.
Amherst jumped out to a 1-0 edge at the 14:59 mark, when senior forward Haley Douds scored off an assist from classmate Molly Malloy. Malloy started the play with a cross from the right side that made its way across the goal mouth and onto the stick of Douds, who tapped in a one-timer from point blank range.
Malloy recorded two goals of her own midway through the second stanza to put things away for the Lord Jeffs. She made the score 2-0 in the 56th minute, when she collected a rebound and scooped a shot over the shoulder of Mount Holyoke sophomore goalkeeper Katie Gibson. Just under three minutes later, she received a short feed from junior forward Liz Schink and fired a shot past Gibson from close range to extend her team’s cushion to 3-1.
The Lyons posted their lone goal of the match off a penalty corner set with 1:20 remaining in regulation. After collecting a short feed from senior forward Mary Kate Switchenko on the doorstep, sophomore forward Shara Robertson found the cage for the sixth time this season.
Amherst finished with large advantages in both shots (20-5) and penalty corner chances (9-3). Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Vitale needed to make just one save en route to her fifth win of the year. At the other end, Gibson turned in a brilliant effort, stopping 12 shots in a losing effort.
Both squads are scheduled to resume their league slates in front of their home crowds on Saturday. Mount Holyoke (4-3, 0-1 NEWMAC) will face off against New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) foe Wellesley College at 1:00 p.m., while Amherst (5-2, 2-2 NESCAC) will take on New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) opponent Williams College at 11:00 a.m.