AMHERST, MA. Despite three-point days from Mia Raven, Kate Becker, and Emily Petersen, the No. 17-ranked Amherst College women's lacrosse team suffered a heartbreaking NESCAC loss on Saturday, March 15. Facing down another top 10 conference foe in #6 Colby, the Mammoths fell victim to a final-minute game winner to fall to the Mules 11-12.

With the loss, the Mammoths fell to 2-2 this season, while Colby improved to 5-0. Amherst will hit the road for a five-game road trip starting this coming Wednesday, March 19, when they will face Haverford College in Pennsylvania. The game against the Fords will begin at 4 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
 
* The Mules got on the board first, but Amherst responded well to going down early, netting two-straight to take their first lead. Both goals were scored by Clara Sosa in a 1:17 span, with the first coming on a drive to the net on a woman-up opportunity and the second coming a beautiful face-cut off an assist from Raven.
 
* Though Colby tallied to tie the game a little over a minute later, the Mammoths scored twice in the last 90 seconds of the first frame, by way of a free-position goal from Rachel Rogers and a slick move to the net by Bridget Finley, to take a 4-2 advantage into the second quarter.
 
* The start of the second quarter saw the Mammoths continue to find offensive success. Even though the Mules put a goal into the back of the cage first, Amherst got two of their own in quick succession to widen their advantage to a game-high three. Emma Crotty potted her first of the season with a backdoor cut to the net off a feed from Becker before Raven got a goal of her own less than 45 seconds later to give the home squad a 6-3 lead.
 
* This is when the Mules went on their own scoring run, netting four straight goals in 16 minutes and 30 seconds spanning the halftime break to retake the lead. Finley was the one to break up the run, scoring with a free-position bounce-shot that knotted the game at 7-7.
 
*  Petersen took over the game from here, netting Amherst's next three goals. First, she converted a free-position attempt with a bounce shot. Her second came off one of her signature moves: a perfectly-executed backdoor cut to goal that gave her a point-blank opportunity. She finished the play despite taking a big hit from a Mules defender to extend her team's lead to two. Though Colby netted once again, Petersen responded with her third, and the score stood at 10-8 with 6:58 to go in the contest.
 
* However, the victory was not to be for the Mammoths. Colby went on a 4-1 run in the game's final minutes, and a Raven goal --- a blazing run across the face of the cage that opened up a shot from just outside the crease --- was not enough. The game-winner came with just 57 seconds left and the Mules hung on in the last minute of play to win 12-11.
 
 
BY THE NUMBERS:

* Petersen has scored multiple goals in every game this season and now has scored three or more goals in each of the last three contests. Becker now leads the team in assists with five after a three-assist day.

* In a game of small margins, loose balls made all the difference --- Colby led in caused turnovers 7-6 and won the battle in the draw circle 15-12.
 
* Goalie Lily Samoska made two saves against the Mules.