ROCHESTER, NY — On Sunday afternoon, the #18 Amherst College women's soccer team prevailed in a dramatic 3-2 victory over the #15 University of Rochester Yellowjackets to advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament. On the Edwin Fauver Stadium carpet, Mammoth senior Alyssa Huynh's 82nd-minute goal made the difference.

Up next for the Mammoths, who improved to 13-1-6 on the season, is a third-round match-up with the Illinois Institute of Technology at a site yet to be announced. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

• The game sprang to life almost instantly, as Amherst wasted no time making their mark. Just eight minutes in, senior Abby Schwartz notched her seventh goal of the season, thanks to a well-placed assist from junior Brooke Ingemi. Schwartz capitalized on a perfectly delivered through ball along the left flank, expertly firing a shot past Rochester's goalkeeper, Grace Kuropatkin, into the right side of the net. This early strike set the tone and remained the only goal of the first half, sending the Mammoths into halftime with a slender 1-0 lead.
• Rochester, however, didn't take long to respond once the second half began. Less than five minutes after the restart, Natalie Santangelo brought the game level with a brilliant finish for her eighth goal of the season. Receiving a forward pass from Claire Grover, Santangelo unleashed a powerful shot that sailed into the top left corner. Momentum shifted quickly, and seven minutes later, Sydney Holmes put the Yellowjackets ahead for the first time with a superbly executed header. The goal came from a pinpoint Claudia Ferreira freekick, which Holmes converted for her fourth goal of the season.
• The lead, however, was short-lived. Junior Halle Hanna answered just six minutes later to even the scoreline once again. Schwartz, who scored the first goal of the game, again played a pivotal role, delivering a long over ball from midfield that set Hanna up for her fifth goal of the season.
• As both teams battled fiercely, testing each other's defenses with sharp attempts on goal, it was Amherst who found the decisive breakthrough. In the 82nd minute, senior Alyssa Huynh emerged as the hero, scoring her first goal of the season in dramatic fashion. Junior Ella Johnson's corner kick from the left side was headed back into the crowd by senior Carter Hollingsworth. Huynh seized the opportunity, volleying the ball through a tangle of defenders and past the goal-line into the bottom right corner. 

?? Late drama in the NCAA Tournament! Alyssa Huynh and the NESCAC champion @amherstwsoccer team capitalize in the 82nd minute to secure a thrilling 3-2 win over Rochester and advance to the round of 16!#TusksUp?? pic.twitter.com/1yY5ObCtAA

— Amherst College Athletics (@AmherstMammoths) November 17, 2024

• Despite a late scare when Sydney Holmes forced a crucial save from senior goalkeeper Mika Fisher in the 88th minute, the Mammoths held their ground. Their remarkable stamina and determination sealed a thrilling 3-2 victory, securing their place in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

BY THE NUMBERS: 

• Amherst had 17 shots (6 on goal); Rochester had 11 shots (7 on goal)
• Amherst had 5 corner kicks; Rochester had 1. 
• Fisher made 5 saves in the victory.