MIDDLEBURY, Vt. –
Alex Vlacich scored twice, and
Bennett Chow totaled two assists, but Amherst men's lacrosse couldn't sustain a strong start and fell 12-5 at Middlebury on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium.
Amherst (7-6, 5-4 NESCAC) came out sharp and landed the first punch, as Vlacich finished at 14:16 of the opening quarter off a feed from
Brendan Reilly. The Mammoths stayed composed when Middlebury answered, and Amherst kept the game within reach through the first half, closing the second quarter with a man-up goal by
Ben Wick at 1:24 (assist Chow) to go into halftime down just 4-3.
Amherst's best moment came right out of the break. Vlacich struck again at 12:42 of the third (assist Chow) to tie the game 4-4, but Middlebury responded immediately and used a decisive third-quarter burst to break it open. The Panthers outscored Amherst 5-1 in the third and carried the momentum into the fourth, where they added three more goals to close out the win.
Sam Schafer scored Amherst's final goal at 8:06 of the fourth (assist
Nate Cootauco), but the deficit was too large to overcome.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
* Amherst struck first as Vlacich finished at 14:16 (assist Reilly). Middlebury answered at 13:43, and the teams were tied 1-1 after the first.
* Middlebury built a 4-1 lead in the second, but Amherst responded with goals from
Max Youssefnia at 5:26 and Wick on the man-up at 1:24 to cut it to 4-3 at halftime.
*Amherst tied it early in the third when Vlacich scored at 12:42 (assist Chow) to make it 4-4, but Middlebury answered quickly and used a five-goal quarter to open up a 9-4 lead heading to the fourth.
* Schafer scored at 8:06 of the fourth (assist Cootauco), but Middlebury added three more in the final period to close out the win.
BY THE NUMBERS:
* Vlacich led Amherst with 2 goals, while Youssefnia, Schafer, and Wick also found the net.
* Amherst went 21-for-23 on clears and finished 1-for-2 on extra-man opportunities.
Luciano Chadha led the Mammoths with five ground balls, and Amherst forced more turnovers (Middlebury 15, Amherst 18).
