AMHERST, Mass. – The second-seeded Amherst College women's soccer team scored four goals in the second half, and four different players found the back of the net, as the Purple & White secured a 6-1 victory over Conn. College in Saturday afternoon's NESCAC Quarterfinal tilt at Hitchcock Field.

With the win, Amherst improves to 13-2-1 overall, and advances the NESCAC semifinals next Saturday, Nov. 5 hosted by top-seeded Williams College. The Purple & White will take on third-seeded Middlebury College after the Panthers edged sixth-seeded Bowdoin College in other quarterfinal action on Saturday. Conn. College falls to 10-5-1 on the season.

Amherst drew first blood early in the first half when Rubii Tamen '19 lofted a pass into the 18-yard box to Hannah Guzzi '18 who split two defenders and slid a shot past the Camels' diving goalkeeper Bryanna Montalvo to give the Purple & White a 1-0 lead just 5:04 into the contest.

Nearly tying the game at one with 17 minutes remaining in the first half, Conn. College's defender Alex Bukovac sent the ball up-field where Samantha Miesemer ripped a shot from point blank range, but the attempt was denied by Chelsea Cutler '19.

Amherst doubled its lead just 12 seconds before the halftime whistle when Maeve McNamara juked a Camel defender and then sent a cross into the box which Guzzi volleyed into the back of the net for her 14th marker of the season to give the Purple & White a 2-0 lead after 45 minutes of play.

After a pair of Guzzi shots were turned aside by Montalvo in the opening moments of the second half, Conn. College pressured the Amherst defensive third, and Zoe Stublarec forced a save from Cutler at the 55:16 mark. Two minutes later, the Camels broke through when Stublarec scored to narrow the Purple & White's lead to 2-1.

Conn. College looked to net the equalizer midway through the second half as Alex Bukovac fired a shot on target that was fended off by Cutler, while the Camels' best scoring opportunity came through Lauren Steele whose blast from 30 yards out careened off the crossbar. In the 78th minute, Alexa Tribelli's attempt sailed wide keeping the score at 2-1 in favor of Amherst. 

At the 79:16 mark Ashlyn Heller '17 intercepted an errant pass at the top of the Camels' 18-yard box and ripped a shot into the back of the net giving the Purple & White a 3-1 lead. The goal sparked a string of four scores in five minutes. Tamen potted her first goal of the game when she headed in a loose ball, before Emily Masten '17 curled in a shot that took a favorable bounce off the woodwork and into the net following a feed from Guzzi to make it 5-1. Amherst extended the lead to 6-1 at the 84:33 mark when McNamara sent a perfect cross to Guzzi who flicked it on for Tamen who one-timed the ball past the keeper resulting in her fourth goal of the season.

Conn. College tried to pull a goal back late in the contest as Alex Baltazar rang a shot off the post, and Livi Block laced a shot on target that was corralled by Cutler.

GAME NOTES

• Cutler registered six saves in the winning effort for Amherst, while Montalvo tallied eight saves for the Camels.
• Guzzi led all players with shots, including seven attempts on goal, while all three of Tamen's shots were on target in the win. Heller finished with two shots on goal.
• Stublarec led the Camels' offensive efforts with two shots on goal, while two of Bukovac's three attempts were on frame in the loss for Conn. College.
• Conn. College edged Amherst in total shots, 17-15, and held a 7-0 differential in corner kicks. The Purple & White held a 14-7 advantage in shots on goal.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

• The win also marks the 150th in head coach Jen Hughes' 13 years at Amherst. Hughes now has an overall record of 150-44-29 during her time on the sidelines in the Pioneer Valley.
• With the win, Saturday, Amherst advanced to the NESCAC Semifinals for the first time since the 2012 season.
• The Purple & White have now won 10 straight games - their longest winning streak since the 2011 season.
• Amherst's six-goal output was the team's highest scoring total in a game so far this season.