AMHERST, Mass. -- Three goals from junior Kate Becker led the No. 12-ranked Amherst College women's lacrosse team to their first win of the season on Saturday, March 8. Taking the field for their 2025 home opener facing another tough NESCAC test in the Hamilton Continentals, the Mammoths left Gooding Field with a 9-6 win.

With the win, the Mammoths improved to 1-1 this season, while Continentals dropped to 0-2. Next, Amherst will return to Gooding for their second of three-straight home games on Wednesday, March 12. They will face out-of-conference opponent #21 MIT looking to start a winning streak. The game against the Engineers will begin at 6 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
 
* Hamilton got on the board three minutes into the contest, but Amherst responded with a goal of their own on a free-position attempt by Bridget Finley four minutes later to tie the game at 1-1.The Continentals netted to take the lead back with 6:19 to go in the first frame, before Emily Petersen tallied off another free-position opportunity to even the score once again. Hamilton put another into the cage before the end of the first to end the quarter with a 3-2 lead.
 
* The second quarter began with a great goal from Becker. The junior received the ball at X before dodging past her defender to the inside and bouncing a shot past the Hamilton netminder to make it 3-3. Then, the Mammoths took their first lead of the game with 8:47 to go in the half by way of a Sofia Guttmann free-position shot. The back and forth continued with the visitors tying the score at four-apiece before another goal with 21 seconds to go to put the Mammoths down one heading into the half.
 
* Amherst started the half on the front foot, scoring almost immediately to tie the game. After a turnover by Hamilton, the Mammoths ran on the break, quickly passing their way up the field. The ball eventually ended up in Petersen's stick, and the junior found a cutting Becker who netted at the doorstep.
 
* That goal started a Mammoth onslaught in the third. It started with the home squad retaking the lead by way of another Finley free position goal and then doubling the lead with another Becker tally. The junior curled around the crease and netted off a Mia Raven feed to the front of the cage. Petersen got her second of the day 90 seconds later, dusting three defenders to beat the shot clock buzzer before Clara Sosa made it a five-goal frame with her first of the season. She scored off a free-position shot with 25.7 seconds to go to give the Mammoths a 9-5 advantage heading into the final quarter.
 
* The fourth quarter had few offensive fireworks by comparison, with the first goal of the period coming from the Continentals on a man-up opportunity with 6:50 remaining in the contest to narrow the Mammoth lead to three -- they never got any closer, though, and the game ended in a 9-6 Mammoths win.
 
 
BY THE NUMBERS:

* Becker led the Mammoths on both sides of the Ball against Hamilton. In addition to her three goals, she paced the team with four ground balls and two caused turnovers.

* Petersen and Finley also recorded multiple goals against the Continentals. Petersen currently leads the team with five goals on the season.
 
* Goalie Lily Samoska started in net once again for the Mammoths, making eight saves.