Courtesy of Hamilton Sports Information

CLINTON, N.Y. - The ninth-ranked Amherst women's lacrosse team had its win streak snapped at five games, as the Lord Jeffs dropped to 5-2 (2-2 NESCAC) on the season with an 8-6 loss at #17 Hamilton (3-5, 2-3 NESCAC).

Marta Randall '13 (Monkton, Md.) paced the Jeff offense with four goals, while Allie Horwitz '12 (Woodbridge, Conn.) and Meghan Mills '15 (Far Hills, N.J.) chipped in with a goal apiece. Alex Philie '14 (East Sandwich, Mass.) won three draw controls, while Lamia Harik '12 (Rye Brook, N.Y.) stopped five shots in net.

Libby Schultz '12 and Katie D'Antonio '14 led a balanced Continentals attack that saw eight different players record a goal, by combining for a pair of scores and five assists. Kathryn Maiorano '14, Ashley Allen '12, Mariah Monks '13, Emily Brodsky '14, Ellen Esterhay '14 and Madison Beres '15 also got on the board for Hamilton, while Rachel Friedman '13 was credited with an assist.

Friedman won a game-high six draw controls and Meg Pengue '12 scooped up a game-high four ground balls. Dewi Caswell '14 and Kari Koga '15 combined to make two saves in goal.

With Amherst striking first on a Randall tally at the 24:03 mark of the first half, Hamilton scored five of the next six goals to give the home team a 5-2 cushion.

Maiorano sparked the run with her ninth goal of the year off an assist from D'Antonio at 23:11, before Randall scored again to make it 2-1. D'Antonio responded with her 14th goal at 16:52, with Schultz having a hand in each of the next three scores. First assisting on Esterhay's tally at 13:53, she found the back of the net at 10:05 before setting up Beres for a goal with 6:08 left in the half.

Hoping to close the first 30 minutes out strong, Mills converted a free-position shot with 4:06 on the clock to trim the Jeff deficit to 5-3 heading into the intermission.

Looking to set the tone in the second, Hamilton stretched its lead to 7-3 with goals by Monks and Brodsky at 22:34 and 21:27, respectively.

Randall's free-position goal with 10:49 remaining pulled Amherst back within three, but Allen restored the Continentals' four-goal margin with her second tally of the year off an assist from Schultz.

Randall netted her fourth goal with just 2:28 left before Horwitz made it 8-6 with just 41 seconds remaining. Amherst would win the ensuing draw control, but the deficit proved too big to overcome, with Hamilton holding off the late Jeff charge to secure the two-goal win.

The Continentals held a 19-13 shot advantage and held a 15-12 edge in ground balls. Committing just 12 turnovers, while helping to force 17 Jeff miscues, Hamilton put the brakes on a three-game losing skid, while snapping Amherst's win streak at five.

The Jeffs return to action on Wednesday, Apr. 4 when they play host to Little Three rival Wesleyan.