MIDDLEBURY, VT - The third-seeded Amherst College women's lacrosse team avenged a 10-7 regular-season loss and advanced to the NESCAC Tournament Championship game with a 13-12 overtime victory over No. 2 seed Bowdoin College in Saturday's semifinal matchup at Middlebury. Sophomore Alyssa Briody (Hopewell, NJ) bounced in the game-winner with just 21 seconds left in the extra frame, earning the Jeffs a chance to face top-seeded Middlebury tomorrow (Sunday) at noon with an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship Tournament on the line.
Bowdoin came out strong, building a 4-2 advantage over the first 19 minutes of play. Amherst evened the count at 4-4 with goals from senior Ashley Harmeling (N. Reading, MA) and rookie Maddie Hoeg (Shoreham, NY). Bowdoin first-year Lyndsey Colburn regained the Polar Bears' edge, but Amherst sophomore Dana Kuper (Denver, CO) struck back with just 41 seconds left before the break for a 6-6 tie.
The two squads battled through the second half as neither team led by more than a goal. Bowdoin held a slight 11-10 lead with 10 minutes left in regulation, but Amherst first-year Gretchen DeLuke (Lewiston, NY) knotted the score with a free-position tally at the 9:31-mark and Briody regained the Jeffs' lead with 3:20 remaining. Bowdoin would not go quietly as senior Colleen McDonald scored unassisted with just 32 tics left on the clock to force overtime. Briody had a chance to win the game in the waning seconds, but her shot hit the post with five seconds remaining.
The skirmish continued in the extra session as neither team could find the net. Finally, Briody broke the deadlock with a low bounce shot to the left side to lift the Jeffs to victory. She finished with a game-high four goals, while Harmeling added a pair and Kuper and classmate Liz Wise (Scarsdale, NY) chipped in a goal and an assist. Hoeg, DeLuke, juniors Caitie Parker (Bethesda, MD) and Scotty Hanley (Baltimore, MD) and sophomore Lauren Dudley (Baltimore, MD) each found the net as well. Senior Liv D'Ambrosio (Farmington, CT) grabbed a season-high 16 saves in goal.
McDonald and sophomore Taylor White paced Bowdoin with three goals apiece. Senior goalie Kendall Cox collected 16 saves in defeat as the Polar Bears fell to 14-3.
