Women’s Soccer Advances to NESCAC Semifinals
Issue   |   Tue, 10/31/2017 - 22:34
Clarus Studios
First-year Claire Nam started both of Amherst’s matches last week, playing an integral part in the Mammoths’ upset of Conn College on Saturday.

It was an eventful week for the Amherst women’s soccer team, which played its final game of the regular season and competed in the first round of the NESCAC tournament. The Mammoths had been scheduled to close out the regular season with a mid-week match up against Trinity on Tuesday, Oct. 24. However, rainy weather prevented the teams from taking the field on the scheduled date and the game was postponed to Wednesday.

Once the game finally started, the Bantams came out strong, netting an early goal just 5:24 into the first half. Despite controlling the flow of thegame for the majority of the game, the Mammoths were unable to find an equalizer, eventually falling 1-0.

Although Amherst held a 16-7 advantage in shots and a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks, Trinity’s stalwart defense held up against the Mammoths’ offensive pressure. First-year Kata Heffron paced the Amherst offense with a total of five shots, while Rubii Tamen ’19 was close behind, getting off four shots in the contest.

Amherst’s loss to Trinity resulted in a seventh-place seeding for the Mammoths in the NESCAC tournament. As the seventh seed, Amherst had to face the No. 2 team in the conference, which turned out to be Conn. College this season.

During the regular season, the Mammoths had lost a heartbreaker to Conn. College, but the team found revenge in their post-season matchup, besting the favorites 1-0 on Saturday.

The host Camels dominated the game offensively, outshooting Amherst 12-6 and earning six corner kicks to Amherst’s three. However, the Mammoths were first to strike with Tamen finding the back of the net less than three minutes before halftime. For the remainder of the game, Amherst’s defensive line held strong, as goalkeeper Chelsea Cutler ’19 recorded five saves to keep Conn. College scoreless and secure the upset victory for Amherst. With the win, the Mammoths’ hopes for a second consecutive NESCAC crown remain alive as the team gears up for the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament.

After last week’s actions, Amherst’s record sits at to 9-6-1 overall and 5-5-1 in the NESCAC.

On Saturday, Nov. 4, the Mammoths will take on archrival Williams, who enters the game as the top-seeded team in the conference and is ranked third in the nation by United Soccer Coaches. In the regular season, the Ephs earned a narrow 3-2 victory over the Mammoths. A win against the Ephs would earn the Mammoths a spot in the NESCAC championship game, where the they would compete for the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.