AMHERST, Mass. – Extending its winning streak to five games, the Amherst College women's soccer team scored two insurance goals in the second half of the game to clinch a 3-0 victory over Keene State in Tuesday's afternoon non-conference tilt at Hitchcock Field. 

With the win, the Purple & White improve their record to 8-2-1 overall, while the Owls move to 8-5-0 on the season. 

Amherst controlled the pace of play in the first half as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 9:13 mark. Sophomore Maeve McNamara netted her first goal of the game to give the Purple & White a 1-0 edge, collecting a perfectly placed ball just outside the box from Emily Hester '17 and one-timing a shot into the top corner of the net.

The Owls found a scoring opportunity two minutes later when Taylor Farland fired a shot off her left foot inside the six, but the attempt soared just wide of the post.

Hannah Guzzi '18 nearly doubled the score with eight minutes left in the first half as she dribbled the ball past defenders and ripped a shot from the top of the box just under the cross bar, but Owl goalkeeper Danielle Warhall punched the ball away for the save. 

Four minutes into the second half, Rubii Tamen '18 led Guzzi on a perfect run inside the 18, with Guzzi beating Warhall one-on-one and sliding the ball into the back of the net to extend Amherst's lead, 2-0.

McNamara registered the final goal of the game on a header from first-year Sloan Askins. In a scrum in front of the Owls net, Askins booted the ball in the air and McNamara came threw on a header placing it in the right side of the net.

Keene's final opportunity came from Morgan Kathan who headed the ball on frame, but the shot bounced off the post as Amherst secured the 3-0 shut out. 

GAME NOTES

• Guzzi and McNamara led Amherst in shots on goal with four in the winning effort, while Tamen and Heller added a shot on goal each.
• Amherst outshot the Owls 15-8 in the first half, 20-18 overall.
• Sophomore Chelsea Cutler earned the win in goal to improve her record to 8-2-1 overall.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

•  Amherst, which has won five straight and is 6-0-1 in its last seven games, has scored three times in each of its last five victories, outscoring its opponents, 15-2 during the stretch.
• The Purple & White netted nine of their last 16 goals within the first 15 minutes of play.