MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Beating the Cardinals' netminder in the 72nd minute, junior Natalie Hobbs played hero for the Mammoths in double overtime as the eighth-ranked Amherst College field hockey team battled past Little III rival Wesleyan University, 3-2, Saturday afternoon at Smith Field.

With the win, Amherst improves to 8-2 on the season and to 4-2 in conference play, while Wesleyan drops to 4-6 overall (1-5 NESCAC). The Mammoths return to the field tomorrow, Sunday, October 10 when they welcome Bates College to Hill Field for a 12:00pm matchup.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Forcing a turnover in Mammoths' territory, Wesleyan broke open scoring 43 seconds into the second quarter to take a 1-0 edge. Getting the angle on the defender and powered towards frame, Diana Schwarz's first attempt was turned away by Amherst goalkeeper Sara Nidus '24 before Kenzie Kelly sent a shot on the rebound over the line.
• Countering 1:01 later, first-year Abbey Kays notched her fourth goal of the fall to put the sides in a 1-1 deadlock. Drawing a penalty corner after a foul in the circle, Beth Williamson '23 corralled the insertion pass at the top of the arc before dishing the ball to Kays who drove a low shot past the Cardinals' netminder, five-hole.
• Capitalizing on a second corner opportunity with 6:34 remaining before halftime, Williamson's eighth score of the season gave the Mammoths their first lead of the contest, 2-1, as she blasted a shot inside the right post. Muffie Mazambani '24 was credited with the assist on the play.
• Netting the equalizer with 2:20 on the clock in the fourth period, Helen Deretchin made it 2-2 as a deflected shot following a penalty corner landed on her stick. Sending a reverse hit from point blank range on the left side, Deretchin's shot sailed up and over the outstretched arms of the Amherst keeper and into the nylon.
• The first overtime period went without a shot attempt until the final seconds, with Wesleyan drawing two corners with no time left on the clock, but the Mammoths defense held strong and was able to block two shots and clear the ball to safety to force double overtime.
• Ending the game 2:39 into double overtime, Hobbs' sixth marker of the year lifted Amherst to the 3-2 victory. Controlling the ball near the right end line, Sam Maynard '25 maneuvered her way through three Cardinals before finding Hobbs who sent a low shot through traffic and into the opposite corner on the goal.

 BY THE NUMBERS

• Tabbed with the start in net, Nidus (1-0) registered two saves in the winning effort for the Mammoths, while Kylie Nelson-Marois (2-3) made eight stops for Wesleyan in the loss.
• Amherst owned the edge in shots (16-10), shots on target (12-4), and corners (13-8) in the contest.