The Amherst’s field hockey team went 1-1 in its second week of regular season play. The purple and white took on Keene State on Wednesday, Sept. 14 scoring six goals and allowing none. On Saturday, Sept. 17 at Middlebury, the NESCAC game ended after double overtime as Amherst fell to the Panthers 3-2.

On Wednesday against Keene State, Amherst showed that it can bounce back after a tough loss. Leaving Bowdoin with a sour taste in their mouth last Saturday the purple and white had its foot on the gas pedal and were not about to let up.

In the 19th minute of the game, offensive powerhouse Sarah Culhane ’17 scored Amherst’s first goal of the match. Less than three minutes later, junior defender Caroline Fiore capitalized off of a penalty stroke to put the purple and white ahead by two goals. Amherst would hold this lead going into the halftime intermission.

Continuing the offensive show from the first half, Laura Schwartzman ’20 increased the score to 3-0 at the 40:05 mark after the break. Continuing to press forward, Elizabeth Turnbull ’18 hit the ball past Keene’s goaltender on at corner.

The purple and white reached an impressive score of 5-0 when Mary Grace Cronin ’18 found the back of the net with 16 minutes remaining in the game. Turnbull scored her second and final goal of the match to secure the shutout win of 6-0.

Coming off of what seemed to be an effortless win against Keene State, the purple and white would have its hands full against Middlebury, the 2015 NCAA runner-ups.

The Panthers pounced early, scoring their first goal just over three minutes into the battle. Fighting back immediately, the purple and white tied up the game a few minutes later off of a loose ball at the top of the arch picked up by Mary Margaret Stoll ’17. Nearing the end of the first half, Middlebury took advantage of an Amherst foul inside the arc, scoring off of a penalty stroke.

Entering the second half with a score of 2-1 in Middlebury’s favor, the purple and white continued to fight. Amherst tied up the match at 2-2 just two minutes into the second half after Culhane picked up a loose ball in the arc.

The purple and white pressed the Panthers for the entirety of the half, holding on to the tie until the end of regulation. After two overtime periods to continue the excitement of the game, Middlebury snuck one into the back of the net at the 96:54 mark.

After a long week of competition the purple and white are gearing up for its next game on the road against Endicott College at 7:00 pm on Sept. 22.