WELLESLEY, Mass. -- For the second consecutive day, early pressure equated to an early lead as the 4th-ranked Amherst College women's soccer team sailed into the Round of 16 of the Div. III NCAA Tournament with a 3-1 win over the Rochester Institute of Technology Sunday at Hartwell-Rogers Field on the campus of Babson College.
Amherst improved to 18-1-1 on the season and advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the second year in a row and 12th time in 21 NCAA appearances. The Mammoths will take on Messiah (19-2) who defeated Williams 1-0. Day, time and site are to be determined.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
* The Mammoths came out flying and had five shots in the first nine minutes, two saved by Tigers' goalkeeper Emily Sanchez, before opening the scoring in the 10th minute.
* In that 10th minute,
Sierra Rosado played a ball to
Patience Kum in the top of R.I.T.'s 18-yard box and Kum quickly slotted a ball to the far side where
Abby Schwartz was unmarked. Schwartz took a touch back to her left and rocketed a shot into the far left corner for her 10th goal of the season and a 1-0 Amherst lead.
* Just 10 minutes later,
Precious Novidzro sailed a corner kick into the short side of the Tigers' box from the left side. Kum got a header on it that Sanchez managed to save, but the rebound found th foot of
Fiona Bernet, who buried a shot into the top right corner for a two-goal advantage.
* Amherst goalkeeper
Mika Fisher made her first save in the 30th minute, a shot from 25 yards out that had good pace but did not challenge the keeper. The Mammoths finished the first half with a 10-1 advantage in shots and a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks.
* The Mammoths had four chances to go up in 3-0 in the first 17 minutes of the second half but could not find the net. That included a Schwartz headed that Sanchez made a diving save on to her right.
* At about the halfway mark of the stanza, the Tigers began to put real pressure on Amherst for the first time, and Fisher made back-to-back saves to keep Amherst up by two.
* In the 71st minute, Amherst was awarded a free kick just outside the box on the right side. Bernet struck a beautiful ball into the center of the box, and
Alyssa Huynh snuck behind the defense to get a head on the ball and direct it over Sanchez for a 3-0 lead.
* Schwartz, Bernet and Huynh had all scored in the Mammoths' 5-0 win over Maine Maritime Saturday.
* To R.I.T's credit, the Tigers continued to fight down three. Fisher made a leaping save off a header in the 81st minute, and then a diving save to her right n a point-blank shot from Rachel Marriott with just over five minutes remaining.
* The Tigers managed to get on the board with a goal from Abby Umbenhaur with 1:50 remaining in the contest.
BY THE NUMBERS:
* Amherst finished with a 16-6 advantage in shots and a 6-2 edge in corner kicks.
* Both Fisher and Sanchez notched four saves in the victory.
