LEWISTON, ME. – An eight-goal day from sophomore attack Bridget Finley helped the No. 16-ranked Amherst College women's lacrosse team secure their third NESCAC win on Saturday, April 13. Taking on Bates in an important match up on the road at Garcelon Field, the Mammoths downed the Bobcats 16-13 to notch a vital conference win.

With the win the Mammoths improved to 7-5 this season, while Bates fell to 5-8. Amherst will play again in less than 24 hours, with a home bout with non-conference opponent Babson College set for tomorrow, Sunday, April 14. The contest against Beavers will begin at 1 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
 
* Despite the Mammoths putting a number of shots on goal in the first five minutes, Bates took a 1-0 lead; however, they couldn't be denied for long. Mia Raven made a stellar defensive play to create a turnover in the offensive zone, earning a free-position opportunity. She finished the play to tie the game at 1-1, before Clara Sosa gave Amherst a 2-1 just minutes later on another free-position shot.
 
* A big save from Jessye Salmon preserved the one-goal margin and started a quick transition play that Finley finished with a goal of her own, but Bates got one back to again draw within one. Sosa got her second to restore the two-goal lead, and her third with just a minute to go in the period. Another Bates tally closed the quarter with the Mammoths on top 5-3.
 
* Sofia Guttmann opened the lead to 6-3 just 90 seconds into the second quarter with a man-up goal. Then, Finley took over. Some of the team's best ball movement of the season opened a pocket right in front of the goal that Finley took advantage of, quick-sticking a Kate Becker pass into the net, before the two connected on a similar play less than a minute later to make it 8-3.
 
* Finley got her fourth of the game unassisted and Sosa did the same with 49 seconds left to finish the first half scoring. But the Mammoths' lead would not be nearly as large without the stellar play of their defense and goaltender Salmon, who held the Bobcats off the scoreboard in the second quarter and gave the team a 10-3 lead at the break.
 
* Who else but Finley would start the second half scoring, with the sophomore scoring her fifth of the game to further widen the lead. Though Bates would respond with their first goal since the end of the first quarter, Guttmann restored the eight-goal margin just minutes later. Finley's sixth and seventh goals made it 14-4, but the Mammoths let two in to the end the quarter with a 14-6 advantage.
 
* The Bobcats' comeback continued with a goal to open the fourth, making it 14-7 with 11:21 to go in the contest. Sosa's fifth tally off a spin to the outside, as well as Finley's eighth brought the Mammoth advantage back to nine. With the game all but over, the Bates comeback started again, with six scores from the Bobcats in the game's final 7:37. However, there was not enough time on the clock, and the final whistle blew to seal a 16-13 Mammoths win.
 
 
BY THE NUMBERS:

* Finley's eight-goal performance was a career high, and stands as the best individual goal-scoring performance in the NESCAC the season. Sosa netted five times, and Guttmann twice to round out the Mammoths' list of multi-goal scorers.
 
* Guttmann and Becker each recorded two assists, and Raven picked up seven ground balls to lead Amherst on the day.

* Salmon made 11 saves and Caroline Stole recorded two in the win.