AMHERST, MA – The Amherst College women's lacrosse team came out on top during a defensive battle with Bowdoin College, as the Lord Jeffs scored the game's final two goals to earn a 5-4 come-from-behind victory. Amherst improves to 3-2 (2-1 NESCAC) with the win, while the Polar Bears drop to 3-3 (0-3 NESCAC).
Saturday's NESCAC matchup marked the sixth consecutive one-goal game between Amherst and Bowdoin, as the Jeffs and Polar Bears have been involved in one epic battle after another since 2005. Four of the previous six meetings had gone into overtime, but senior quad-captain Amy Craig (Denver, CO) scored her team's final two goals and the Amherst defense came up big in the end to give the Jeffs the narrow win in regulation.
Bowdoin took its first lead of the game when sophomore Katy Dissinger (Upper Brookville, NY) assisted first-year Katie Herter (Topsfield, MA) to make it a 4-3 game with 13:51 to play in the second half, forcing Amherst into a timeout. Craig did what she has done all year and took over the scoring duties for Amherst, netting the game-tying goal on a free position shot with 12:13 remaining. Craig's game-winner came with 3:11 showing on the clock and was assisted by first-year Allie Horwitz (Woodbridge, CT).
Craig also scored an unassisted goal 1:14 into the first half to open the game's scoring. Bowdoin responded only 49 seconds later when senior Christina Denitzio (Martinsville, NJ) assisted senior Lindsay McNamara (Milton, MA), but neither team would score again in the final 27:57 of the first half.
Bowdoin held a 9-7 advantage in shots in the first half, as Amherst first-year goalkeeper Lamia Harik (Rye Brook, NY) made seven saves in an outstanding 30 minutes between the pipes. Senior tri-captain Steph Collins-Finn (Menands, NY) was equally impressive for Bowdoin, making six saves in the first half while holding the Jeffs to one goal.
Before Dissinger's go-ahead goal, Amherst and Bowdoin alternated scores and were tied at 3-3 with 16:54 remaining in regulation. Horwitz scored 24 seconds into the second period to give her team a 2-1 lead, but the Polar Bears tied things up six minutes later on an unassisted goal from Dissinger. The Jeffs needed only 72 seconds to regain the lead, as senior quad-captain Mary Noonan (West Roxbury, MA) was assisted by Craig to give Amherst a 3-2 advantage.
Sophomore Ingrid Oelschlager (Roanoke, VA) made it a 3-3 game with an unassisted wraparound goal with 16:54 to play before Herter gave the Polar Bears their first lead three minutes later.
Harik finished the day with eight saves, while Collins-Finn stopped 10 shots for Bowdoin. Amherst won the ground ball battle, 15-13, out-shot the Polar Bears by an 18-13 margin, and came up with seven of the game's 11 draw controls.
All three of Bowdoin's losses in the NESCAC have come by one goal, while all three of Amherst's wins have come by two goals or fewer. The Lord Jeffs return to action Wednesday, Mar. 25 when they host Skidmore College at 7 p.m. The Polar Bears will also serve as a non-conference host on Wednesday when they take on Wheaton College at 7 p.m.
