Contact: Matthew Hart

AMHERST, Mass. – Fueled by four second-half goals, the 15th-ranked Amherst College field hockey team pulled away from visiting Smith College for a 5-1 non-conference win Thursday night at Gooding Field. Alex Philie '14 tallied a goal and an assist to lead the Lord Jeffs, while Annika Nygren '16, Madeline Tank '15, and Kerry Fusco '15 also scored.

With just two regular season games remaining for both squads, Amherst improved to 8-4 with the win while Smith fell to 7-8.

Goalkeeper Nora Demick '16 kept the Pioneers close for the bulk of the contest, recording 20 saves, while Jenny Estes '15 scored the lone Smith goal off an assist from Allie Stein '14.

Controlling possession from the start, Amherst found the first strong scoring opportunity seven minutes in. Off of a penalty corner, Katie McMahon '13 fired a shot from the top of the box that was saved by Demick. The rebound flew to Zsitvay, but Demick was again up to the task, swatting away her effort before the Pioneer defense cleared the ball.

Amherst kept up the pressure, with Demick again needing a pair of saves in close succession to prevent the Jeffs from getting on the board 15 minutes into the contest. Amherst punched one through a minute later, however, with Nygren collecting the rebound from a Zsitvay shot and slotting it past Demick into the right corner.

But Smith responded immediately, with Stein carrying the ball deep into the Jeff half before finding Estes on the right side, who beat a diving Rachel Tannenbaum '15 to even the score, 1-1.

Smith managed one more chance in the first half, when Stein found Sara Mercier '15 for a shot from the left side in the 26th minute, but Tannenbaum easily kicked away the attempt to keep the score tied. Amherst, meanwhile, peppered the Pioneer net but could not find a go-ahead goal before the break despite taking a 24-2 shot advantage and a 16-0 edge in penalty corners into halftime.

After beginning the second half quietly, the Jeffs pulled ahead with a quick pair of goals in the 43rd minute. First, controlling the ball above the circle, Philie sent a rocket into the box that nicked off a Smith defender and into the net for an own goal. Amherst immediately pressured again, quickly taking back possession before Tank collected a loose ball on the right side and sent it in to put the Jeffs up, 3-1.

The hot stretch continued for Amherst, with Fusco finding space near the right post two minutes later and tapping in a long pass from Philie. 

The Jeffs found their final tally at the 50:14 mark when Philie collected a loose ball just inside the circle and rifled it past Demick into the right corner for a 5-1 lead.

Tannenbaum needed just the single first-half save before Sarah Wise '13 replaced her in goal early in the second half. Smith did not get a shot off after intermission as Amherst finished with a 50-2 advantage along with a 29-0 edge in penalty corners.

The Jeffs return to action on Saturday, Oct. 20, traveling to Wesleyan for a 12 p.m. contest.