MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The No. 19 Amherst College women's lacrosse team fell to No. 5 Middlebury College, 13-3 Saturday afternoon at Kohn Field during NESCAC action in Middlebury, Vt.

With the loss, Amherst moves to 4-4 overall, 1-3 in league play, while Middlebury improves to 7-2 on the season, 4-1 in conference play. Amherst is back in action Wednesday, April 5 when it travels to Wesleyan University for a 6 p.m. start.

Middlebury got off to a fast start as Henley Hall opened the scoring 57 seconds into the contest following a pass from Mary O'Connell. Emma McDonagh then scored on a free position shot, before O'Connell found the back of the net to make it 3-0 with 23:33 on the clock in the first half. Bea Eppler then scored with help from McDonagh to make it 4-0 before Amherst registered its first tally through Kate Wyeth '17 who netted an unassisted goal with 14:03 to play in the first half. McDonagh then added two more tallies – both on the free position – as the Panthers held a 6-1 lead at intermission.

In the second half, the Panthers extended their advantage to 8-1 as Hollis Perticone scored, while Eppler capitalized with a free position goal. Julia Crerend '18 answered for Amherst, but McDonagh responded right back to keep the differential at seven goals (9-2) with 19:18 to play in the contest. An unassisted goal by Claire Cagnassola '17 again pulled the visitors to within six, but four straight goals by Middlebury sealed the 13-3 win. Elsa Hermanson scored three of the four markers, and assisted Georgia Carroll on the other. Carroll provided the helper on Hermanson's second goal of the stretch.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Kelly Karczewski '18 led Amherst with three ground balls, while Crerend, Cagnassola, Kyra Gardner '18, and Talia Land '20 followed with two pickups each.
• Sabrina Solow '19 caused two turnovers, while Kate Burns '18, Hanna Krueger '17 and Cagnassola won three draws each in the losing effort.
• Gardner made four saves in 34:32 between the pipes, while Land made two stops.
• Middlebury was led by Kate Furber's five ground balls, while Yessie Yorke added three. Evie Keating notched three caused turnovers, while Furber made 13 saves in goal for the Panthers.