AMHERST, MA – Six-point performances from Emily Petersen and Kate Becker lead the No. 5 Amherst women's lacrosse team to a commanding win on Saturday, March 28. After a couple of weeks facing non-conference opponents, the Mammoths returned to NESCAC play against Bowdoin, looking to maintain their undefeated start. After a tight first quarter, the Mammoths pulled away in the second, blowing open a tie game on the way to a 16-6 victory.
 
With the win Amherst improves to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the NESCAC while the Bowdoin drops to 3-5 (0-5 NESCAC). The Mammoths' next game looks to be one of the biggest of the season, with Little Three rival and national No. 2 Wesleyan coming to town for a top-5 matchup on Wednesday, April 1. The contest against the Cardinals is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
 
* The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair. Bowdoin got on the board first with a free position goal a little over a minute into the game, but the Mammoths responded by way of Becker. Caroline Curtis forced a turnover in the Amherst zone, received the ball on the run, and sprinted towards goal. She dumped the ball off for Petersen, who hit Becker at the doorstep for to make it 1-1. The Polar Bears put another goal away minutes later, before Petersen netted a free position shot with 90 seconds left to tie the game at 2-2 heading into the second frame.

* This is when the Mammoths would pull away, outscoring Bowdoin 6-1 in the next stanza. Petersen potted another free-position and then sealed a first-half hat trick off a pass from Becker. The Polar Bears got one back to narrow the lead to 4-3, but that was as close as they would get: Bridget Darcy tallied on a woman-up opportunity just 1:15 later to restore the margin, and then the team was off and running.

* Amherst scored 3 times in the final four minutes of the second period, including twice in 30 seconds, to take a commanding 8-3 lead into halftime. Darcy got her second of the game off a Becker pass. Then Bridget Finley notched her first of the day in style 30 seconds later, catching the ball in traffic, spinning away from her defender and finishing the play, before Clara Sosa put away a free position to end the first half.

* Though Bowdoin again opened the half with a goal, Finley scored again to match it. Petersen and Becker combined once again to widen the margin to six with 4 minutes to go in the frame. That is when Amherst delivered a dagger, scoring twice in the final 50 seconds of the period – the first from Sosa and the second from Finley – to make the scoreline 12-4 heading to the final 15 minutes.

* Two quick Bowdoin goals shrunk the lead to 12-6 with 11:30 to go; but closing out games has been the Mammoths' bread and butter this season, and they did it again, putting up 4 goals in the final 7:33 to put the game away for good. Petersen and Curtis scored free position attempts, while Izzie Brabant did so in the run of play. Anna Whitworth finished the game with another free-position tally, getting her first of the season to ice the 16-6 win.

* The Amherst defense put in another stellar performance, causing 14 turnovers and picking up 20 ground balls.

BY THE NUMBERS:
 
* Amherst outshot the Polar Bears 28-16 overall and 14-10 in shots on goal. They also won the battle at the dot, controlling 16 draws to Bowdoin's 9.
 
* Petersen got back on the scoresheet with a bang after a 2-game absence, scoring 5 goals and notching an assist. Becker put up her second game of 5-plus assists this season while scoring a goal as well.

* Lily Samoska made 7 saves in the win.