AMHERST, Mass. -- No. 21 Tufts University scored tice in the second half Tuesday - the second goal coming with 45 seconds left in the game -- to sneak past the #2 ranked Amherst College women's soccer team, 2-1, on Hitchcock Field.
It was the first loss of the season for the Mammoths, who fell to 7-1-3 overall and 4-1-2 in the NESCAC while Tufts improved to 9-2-1 overall and 5-2-1 in the conference with its fifth straight victory.
Uo next for Amherst is a road game Saturday ar Hamilton. Game time is 11 a.m.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
* Amherst took an early 1-0 lead in the contest when
Patience Kum stole a ball at midfield and sent a beautiful through ball into the box that senior
Sophia Haynes ran onto and slid a shot into the lower left-hand corner of the goal in the 14th minute. It was Haynes second goal of the season.
* The Jumbos three shots in the first half came in a five-minute span immediately following Haynes' tally. None were on frame however.
* Late in the first half Amherst regained the momentum it had early and that pressure resulted in four corner kick opportunities in the final 11 minutes.
Halle Hanna blistered a shot that Tufts' keeper Gigi Edwards made a leaping save to just tip it over the goal.
Ella Johnson put three consecutive corners into the box near the six, nut none of the three resulted in a shot as the half ended with Amherst leading 1-0. The Mammoths out shot Tufts 8-3 over the first 45 minutes.
* Tufts used the halftime break to re-energize and and the quick start for Tufts ended up in a equalizer as
Nicola Sommers headed in her fourth goal of the season off of a cross from
Waverly Sumner in the 59th minute.
* In the final 19 minutes of the game Amherst mustered five shots, but none found the frame.
* In the final minute, a clearance from Tufts put the Jumbos into transition mode. Junior
Elsi Aires would grab possession right in front of her bench, 35 yards from goal.. With some space, Aires unloaded a shot that carried into the right side netting for the game-winner.
BY THE NUMBERS:
* Amherst held a 15-10 advantage in shots, although Tufts had a 6-5 edge in shots on goal. The Mammoths had 10 corner kicks in the game to the Jumbos 2.
*
Mika Fisher made four saves in goal for the Mammoths.