The Amherst field hockey team opened its season on Wednesday, Sept. 3 with a decisive 7-0 victory over Connecticut College. Several Jeffs tallied points to lift 10th-ranked Amherst over the unranked Camels.

Co-captain Madeline Tank ‘15 led the scoring with four goals and one assist. The scoring opened just over nine minutes into the game, as Tank took advantage of a penalty corner ­— one of 20 in the game for Amherst — giving the Jeffs an early lead. That goal would prove to be the only scoring of the first half, but Amherst would eventually break the game open later on, scoring six goals in the second.

Tank scored her second goal of the game just 2:40 after the break to get the second-half flurry started. The senior tallied her third goal less than four minutes later thanks to an assist by Annika Nygren ’16.

Nygren added another assist when she connected with Mary Grace Cronin ’18 for her first collegiate goal. Tank got involved in the scoring yet again, sending home number four on the day in the 63rd minute of play. She further continued her offensive dominance when she assisted Nygren to give Amherst a comfortable 6-0 lead. First-year Katie Bergamesca assisted Taylor Hallowell ’17 as time expired in the game to secure the Jeffs 7-0 victory.

Rachel Tannenbaum ’15 and Emily Horwitz ’17 combined for the shutout, turning away three Conn. College shots.

“Coming out strong against Conn. was huge for us,” noted Tank. “We spent preseason trying to fit all the pieces together, including integrating younger players. We really clicked, and it got us all pumped for the season.”

Amherst rode that excitement into a one of their biggest games of the season against fifth-ranked Middlebury on Sunday, Sept. 7. The Jeffs fell 4-1, stumbling in the early minutes of play.

The Panthers jumped out to an early 4-0 lead just over 13 minutes into the contest, featuring a score in the opening minute. Tank continued her impressive week, scoring the lone Amherst goal on the day at the 27-minute mark on a penalty corner.

“It was certainly a disappointing loss, but we learned a lot of concrete lessons that will make us better in the long run,” she said. “They’re a good team, but hopefully we’ll get the chance to take them on again once we’ve developed further as a team.”

The Jeffs rebounded Tuesday as they defeated 17th-ranked Mount Holyoke 2-0 in the Jeffs’ home opener. Nygren opened the scoring at the 15:41 mark when she scored off a pass from fellow junior Annie Turnbull. Nygren made her presence felt again when she passed to the younger Turnbull, Elizabeth ’18, who passed it right back for Nygren’s one-timer past the Holyoke goalie with just over a minute left to play in the first half.

Tannenbaum continued her terrific play by posting her second shutout of the year by stopping eight shots in the Jeffs’ win.

Amherst will travel to face defending national champion Bowdoin this Saturday, Sept. 13 at 11 a.m. On Wednesday, Sept. 16, the Jeffs will travel to Keene State for a game at 7 p.m.

Last season, Amherst started the season off with two losses, but Jeffs responded with a 13-game winning streak and hope to encounter similar success in 2014.

The team’s next home game will be against Williams on Sept. 20 at 11 a.m.