AMHERST, MA. – The No. 18-ranked Amherst College women's lacrosse team began the 2024 season with a NESCAC contest versus preseason No. 1 Middlebury on Saturday, March 2 at home on Pratt Field. Despite taking an early lead against the defending national Champions, the Mammoths fell to the Panthers 16-5.

With the loss, the Mammoths fell to 0-1 this season, while Middlebury improved to 1-0. The Mammoths will return to the field at home on Wednesday, March 6 against Roger Williams University, looking to get in the win column for the first time this season. The game against the Hawks is slated to begin at 6 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
 
* The Mammoths opened the game strong with their first goal of the season coming just 1:38 into the contest. With the shot clock winding down on their first offensive possession, Bridget Findley got the ball on a cut, and ran it out to the right side before she found a cutting Emma Crotty just feet from the crease. The first-year went high stick-side to beat the Panthers' netminder for a 1-0 lead.

* Middlebury answered with two straight goals to take the lead at 2-1 with 2:55 to go in the first quarter, and Amherst would go into the second down by that same score --- goalie Jessye Salmon made incredible saves throughout the quarter to keep the game close.
 
* The Panthers turned it on in the second, scoring four more goals to go up 6-1 on the Mammoths before the home squad got on the board again. This time, it was Bridget Darcy, whose free-position shot was seemingly blocked before it rolled into the bottom corner for the Mammoths' second goal. However, the Panthers would score once more to go into the half up 7-2.

* Middlebury again went on a run to start the third quarter, scoring seven goals in the quarter to put the Mammoth deficit at 12 going into the fourth, at 14-2.
 
* The Mammoths scored the first goal of the fourth. Settling into the attack, Darcy took the ball even with the goal line on the right, beat her defender to the left and found Ella Bobbett on a cut. The first year turned and fired, netting her first of the season.
 
* Now with the momentum, Amherst scored again in short order. On their next offensive possession, Kate Becker caught the ball at X, worked to her left and fired a pass to Mia Raven. The speedy midfielder beat her defender to the outside and bounced a shot past the Panthers' goalie to narrow the deficit to 10.
 
*  Two more Panther goals followed before the Mammoths struck again. This time it was Rachel Rodgers, who earned a free-position shot, got in on net, and converted from close-range. The game would end shortly thereafter, with Amherst losing to the Panthers by a score of 16-5.
 
 
BY THE NUMBERS:

* All five Mammoth goal-scorers all netted the first tallies of their collegiate careers against the Panthers. Darcy led the Mammoths with five shots and three on goal.

* Salmon made eight saves in her season-debut.
 
* Preseason All-American Brynn Korpi led the Mammoths with three ground balls in the contest.