The Amherst women’s field hockey team went 2-0 in the second to last week of regular season action, pushing their record to 9-1 over their last 10 games. The purple and white faced Smith and Wesleyan on Wednesday, Sept. 19 and Saturday, Sept. 22, respectively.

In a matchup with Smith on the purple and white’s home field, the team finished the game with a score of 7-2. Later that weekend, they obtained their 11th win with a score of 4-0 on the road in Middletown, Connecticut.

The purple and white were checked-in right away during their mid-week game. Amherst netted the first goal in just under seven minutes of play, as star senior forward Sara Culhane recorded her first of four goals for the game off of the rebound from an on-goal attempt from Mary-Margaret Stoll ’17.

After two good looks on net, first-yearHeather Brennan scored later in the half to double Amherst’s lead to 2-0. Staying heavily involved in the purple and white offensive attack, Culhane scored her second goal off an assist from Brennan and her third with the support of Stoll as the time was winding down in the first half.

This hat trick by the all-star senior is her third of the year, bringing her season total up to 22 goals, tied for the highest tally in the NESCAC.

In the later part of the second half, following Smith’s first goal of the match, Caroline Fiore ’18 made it a 5-1 game as she gathered the ball right in front of the goal and ripped one past Smith’s goalie.

Brennan then went on to score her second of the contest with 17 minutes remaining in the game. Smith broke through the Amherst defense to score its second and final goal of the game before Shannon Tierney ’19 left the final mark on the scoreboard with a goal at the 3-minute mark. The final scoreline was 7-2 in favor of the dominant purple and white.

Following their rout of Smith, the purple and white faced Wesleyan on their home turf, playing in their competitor’s homecoming match. Even though the Cardinals’ record may not command respect compared to the rest of the NESCAC, all the hype behind this game, including the Little III rivalry, would make it a tough one.

Mary Grace Cronin ’18 scored the first goal of the game in a mere 46 seconds. She connected off of a pass that started from Tierney collecting a loose ball in the midfield, which she then distributed to Culhane, who found Cronin.

Cronin scored her second of the match as she used her acute technical ability to beat Wesleyan’s goalie and find the back of the net. Culhane then increased the purple and white’s lead to an insurmountable three goals with only seven seconds remaining on the clock for the first half.

Matching Cronin goal for goal, Culhane struck again in the second frame, this time off of a penalty corner insertion from Caroline Feeley ’18. The final whistle blew at a score of 4-0.

As the No. 10 Amherst’s women’s field hockey team enters their final week of the regular season, they prepare for tough competition against NESCAC opponent Trinity this Wednesday Oct. 26 on Gooding Field at 7:00 p.m.