The unpleasant downpour at Hitchcock Field was not enough to keep the women’s soccer team from shining brightly in Saturday’s contest against Hamilton. Emily Hester ‘17 tallied her second and third goals on the year, while Quinn Philips ’17 added one more to power the Jeffs to a decisive 3-0 victory against their conference opponent. The Purple and White entered Saturday’s matchup ranked 11th in the NSCAA Coaches poll and tied with Bowdoin for first in NESCAC standings. Boasting a five-game winning streak, Amherst (8-1-0/5-1-0) would take little mercy on the Continentals (7-3-0/2-3-0) en route to a sixth straight win.

“The win was awesome,” said senior defender Maya Jackson-Gibson. “It was the first game all season that we really put together a full 90-minute game. We are finally working well as a team and successfully executing the game plan that our coaches created for us.”

After battling a stalemate for the first 25 minutes, Amherst finally found a way to slip the ball between the posts when Hannah Guzzi ’18 found Phillips on a pass from the right side of the box. Phillips, who received the pass with her back to the goal, maneuvered around with a touch and slotted the ball into the lower left corner of the goal. A diving effort from Hamilton’s goalkeeper, Rachel Cooley, was not enough to deny Phillip her first collegiate goal.

“Our dynamic as a team has been really strong this season, and everyone seems really committed to our team goals and success,” Hester said. “I think because our team is smaller, the sophomores and the first-years have realized that we have a major role to play on the field, as we make up such a big chunk of our team, and we’ve been doing a great job at stepping up when needed.”

Despite holding a 12-9 shot advantage in the second half, Hamilton failed to place a ball between the posts, while Amherst was able to add two more goals. Twenty minutes into the period, Hester collected a pass at the top of the eighteen from Meredith Manley ’18 and fired a left footed strike into the back of the net.

With roughly eight minutes remaining, Hester struck again. This time, Hester showcased her sheer athleticism and instinct for the game, sending the ball between the posts on a sensational diving header off of a cross from Sarah Frohman ’17.

“The sophomore class is playing awesome. I am so proud of them,” Jackson-Gibson said. “They all came in this year fit and ready have an immediate impact on the field. Emily Hester and Quinn Phillips are great examples of how talented the sophomore class is. I’m excited to see them score more goals.”

The Amherst defense was equally as dominant in fending off the Continentals. Goalkeeper Holly Burwick recorded 10 saves, collecting her sixth shutout of her junior season campaign. Helping keep Hamilton off the board were Jackson-Gibson, Emily Masten ’17, Jessy Hale ’16, Mel Stier ’15 and Ariana Twomey ’15.

“I thought this game very much showed that we are a top team in NESCAC,” said co-captain Meghan Mills ’15. “Three to zero is a decisive win and definitely shows the rest of the conference that we are a team to reckon with.”

Amherst looks to continue the win streak when they return to non-league play on Wednesday, Oct. 8, against Eastern Connecticut State University.