In the team’s home opener last Wednesday, Amherst women’s soccer (2-1-0) sailed to a 6-0 victory over Mount Holyoke (1-3-0). Entering the week ranked 20th in the country, the Jeffs came out firing, wasting no time to find their way onto the scoreboard.
Just nine minutes into action, senior co-captain Mel Stier crossed the ball from the left side of the box to connect with junior Rachael Abernethy. Abernethy headed the ball into the net to push Amherst ahead. From there, Amherst never looked back.
“We had a solid win against Mt. Holyoke in which every player was able to contribute,” said junior Megan Kim. “Bowdoin was definitely a learning experience, one that has given us insight on what we need to work on as a team.”
The Amherst offense produced a dominant performance, earning a 17-2 shot advantage on goal. Ten minutes before halftime, first-year Hannah Guzzi connected on her first collegiate goal with the help of sophomores Quinn Phillips and Emily Hester. This goal gave the Jeffs a 2-0 advantage leading into intermission.
“The freshmen have been really awesome so far — stepping up and making a huge impact right from the start on and off the field, which is exactly what we need from them,” said co-captain Meghan Mills ’15.
Again and again, the Purple and White found the back of the Mount Holyoke net. At the 56:21 mark, Guzzi cleaned up the rebound of her own shot to extend the lead to 3-0 and tally her second career goal.
Staying on the attack, Amherst’s Kim assisted Abernethy in netting two additional goals. With Abernethy’s hat trick, the Jeffs took a commanding 5-0 lead. The first of the two came in the 68th minute when Abernethy finished Kim’s through ball. In the 83rd minute Kim connected on a cross with Abernethy, who headed in her second for the Jeffs.
The Amherst sophomore class rounded out the scoring in the final minute. A Phillips cross ricocheted off of the crossbar only to fall at the feet of sophomore Sarah Zuckerman, who capitalized on the opportunity.
Amherst keeper Holly Burwick ’16 posted her second shutout of the season, while seniors Meghan Mills and Caroline Broder recorded one save apiece.
On Saturday, Amherst returned to conference play, falling 1-0 to the Polar Bears of Bowdoin (2-0-0). Despite Burwick’s four-save effort, Bowdoin slotted in the first and only goal of the game after receiving a penalty kick in the 63rd minute.
“We did not bring our best game on Saturday, and the result showed,” Stier said. “Bowdoin is a good team and they came ready to play. That game was a great learning experience, and it’ll make us stronger in the long run.”
Both teams entered halftime with six shot attempts, but Bowdoin finished with a slight 13-2 shot advantage. Nearing the end of the game and down by one, Amherst increased their pressure. Kim delivered two unsuccessful shots, and shortly thereafter, Abernethy sent a ball deflecting off of the goalie post. Bowdoin controlled the last three minutes of the game to clench the victory.
On Wednesday, Amherst returns to action against nonconference opponent Springfield. Then, on Saturday women’s soccer will play NESCAC rival Williams College.
“The NESCAC is always super competitive, so we’re looking ahead to the next game with confidence and are very excited to be seeing Williams at home this Saturday,” Mills said.
