MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The No. 16 Amherst College field hockey team suffered a 1-0 setback on the road, falling in a defensive contest against No. 17 Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon.
Amherst fell to 6-4 overall and 2-4 in NESCAC play, while Wesleyan rose to 5-3 and 1-3 in the conference. The Mammoths will travel over to Medford to face Tufts University next, who they'll battle on Ounjian Field at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
*Wesleyan picked up its first opportunity of the match in the third minute on a penalty corner. Amherst's defensive unit stood tall and batted down the attempt, highlighted by a save from sophomore goaltender
Kate Grady.
*Pressure was even through the rest of the quarter until two minutes remained. First-year
Emma Zhang hit a scooping shot towards goal, which senior goaltender Audrey Pace grounded. The ball fell to the feet of first-year
Devon Watson, but the midfielder's shot glanced wide.
*Eight minutes into the second quarter, the Cardinals rushed downfield on a takeaway from first-year Emily Smith, who sent a through-ball to the stick of fellow first-year Kate Francini. Francini dribbled toward the right post and powered a cross in front of the cage, but no Wesleyan sticks could get on the end of it.
*Amherst won a penalty corner with a 15-second window remaining in the second quarter. Tight pressure from the host rendered the Mammoths' sticks fruitless as the clock went to zero.
*After Amherst controlled much of the play in the early portion of the third, Wesleyan got on the scoreboard in the fifth minute as first-year Meera Patel wove around Amherst's defenders in front of the cage and shot toward the lower right corner. The ball found the stick of senior Georgia Adams, then the back of the net to make it 1-0 for the host.
*Patel continued to pressure Amherst's defense into the final minute of the third, dribbling pole-to-pole and firing towards the goal from the right flank, but the attempt was denied by the outstretched hand of Grady.
*Amherst had a breakaway chance four minutes into the final quarter after junior
Genevieve Caruso picked off a Wesleyan pass at the top of the arch, but her efforts rebounded back into Cardinal possession.
*Grady continued to demonstrate strong goalkeeping between the posts, kicking the ball away on a point-blank shot from Wesleyan in the seventh minute of the fourth.
*The Mammoths were awarded four penalty corners in the final five minutes of the contest, but tight pressing from the Cardinals put home the 1-0 victory for the host.
BY THE NUMBERS:
*Amherst led offensively, going 12-6 in shots, 7-5 in shots on goal, and 9-2 on corners.
*Zhang collected the most shots of any player, firing 4 overall and 2 on goal.
*Grady notched four saves across 55 minutes of play, while Pace made four saves across 60 minutes.
