Courtesy of Colby College

WATERVILLE, Maine – The Amherst College women's lacrosse team opened its 2012 season on Saturday with a 7-6 loss to Colby College on Bill Alfond Field, as the Mules scored with only 5.7 seconds left in regulation to seal the victory. 

Colby's Kate Pistel made an outstanding defensive play in the final 30 seconds and Lindsey McKenna followed by breaking a 6-6 tie to lift the 10th-ranked Mules past 17th-ranked Amherst.
 
Pistel's heroics and the late goal somewhat overshadowed a stellar debut in net for first-year goalie Claire Dickson, who made eight of her 13 saves in the second half to keep Colby close when the Mules were struggling offensively.
 
Amherst (0-1, 0-1 NESCAC) was holding the ball in the final minute of play with hopes of taking the last shot. Pistel, in a one-on-one defensive play, stripped a Lord Jeff player of the ball with just under 30 seconds remaining. With time running down and play at a feverish pace, Colby's Katharine Eddy found McKenna open in front of the goal. McKenna ripped a low shot that bounced past Amherst keeper Lamia Harik '12 for the game-winning tally.
 
The Mules had scored four straight goals in a span of 6:08 during the first half to take a 5-2 lead with 9:41 to play before intermission, but Amherst tightened up its defense and held Colby scoreless for the next 30:21 to pull back ahead, 6-5.
 
The Mules finally scored their sixth goal to tie the contest on the same combination as the winning marker—McKenna from Eddy—with 9:20 to play, while the Lord Jeffs were held scoreless for the final 23:45. 

Caroline Holliday '14 scored two goals as the only Amherst player with multiple points on the day. Elizabeth Ludlow '13, Meghan Mills '15, Alex Philie '14 and Marta Randall '13 accounted for the Lord Jeffs' other four goals. 
 
Harik played well in goal for Amherst, making five of her nine saves in the second half. The Lord Jeffs will stay in Maine to take on Bates College tomorrow at 12:30 p.m.