AMHERST, MA. – Four goals from Emily Petersen led No. 12 Amherst College women's lacrosse to a rivalry win in comeback style on Saturday, April 5. Coming off a five-game road trip, the team returned to the Pioneer Valley for a battle with rival Williams. Riding a five-game win streak into the contest, the Mammoths topped the Ephs 11-8 to claim the 2025 Little Three title.   
 
With the win, the Mammoths improve to 8-2 this season and extend their win-streak to six games, while Williams falls to 5-5. Amherst will go on the road once again later this week, taking on Connecticut College on Wednesday, April 5. The game against the Camels will begin at 7 p.m. in New London, Conn.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
 
* Williams started the game on the offensive, putting the Mammoths in a 4-1 hole early in the contest. The Ephs went up 1-0 before Clara Sosa answered with a stellar individual goal that she slammed over the goal line over the goalie's outstretched stick. Three more goals quickly saw Amherst down three halfway through the first quarter. Sosa took matters into her own hands once again, scoring a bounce-shot off a free position to narrow the deficit to two, but the Ephs struck again a minute later to restore their advantage to three.
 
* However, a big last minute from the Mammoths saw them draw within one: first, great defensive pressure from Emma Crotty created a loose ball that she picked up and started the rush to goal. She passed the ball to a wide-open Emily Petersen down the middle, and the junior scored to spark the run. Then, just 25 seconds later, the Mammoths ended the quarter with a bang: winning the draw and rushing to goal. Crotty again quarterbacked the play, driving to cage and dishing to Bridget Darcy, who fired past the keeper to make it 5-4 Ephs heading into the second.
 
* The next 15 minutes were quiet by comparison, with the next goal coming with 5:59 remaining in the half, when Amherst tied the game. The play started with some great team play, with the Mammoths deftly breaking high pressure from the Ephs before Kate Becker received the ball and made her way to X. The junior crossed behind the goal and found a cutting Mia Raven, who was wide-open for an easy score. Though Williams retook the lead 50 seconds later, Morgan Lebek netted on a man-up free position opportunity to tie the game at 6-6 heading into halftime.  
 
* Williams again started strong, going up one less than a minute into the second half. After this, a defensive stalemate ensued – neither team found the back of the cage again until Petersen put her defender in the spin-cycle and got her second of the day to tie it with 29.6 seconds left in the third. The two teams entered an all-important fourth quarter knotted at 7-7.
 
* Sosa completed her hat trick to start the fourth on the right foot for the Mammoths. The junior attack beat her defender to the right and bounced a shot home to give her team their first lead of the game at 8-7 with 11:55 remaining. Petersen completed her hattrick shortly thereafter, widening the Amherst cushion to two, and Bridget Finley made it three-straight a minute later.
 
* Though the Ephs scored with 2:43 left to get within two, Petersen tallied with 1:01 remaining to shut the door on a comeback and seal an 11-8 win for the Mammoths.
 
 
BY THE NUMBERS:
 
* With her four-goal outing against the Ephs, Petersen extends her goal-scoring streak to 10 games, having netted in every game this season.

* Amherst was able to complete their rally with stout defense and ability to control possession – they were able to collect 18 ground balls to Williams' 16 and turned the ball over five fewer times (14-19).
 
* Samoska made 5 saves on the day.