MIDDLEBURY, VT. – The No. 8 Amherst women's lacrosse team continues its NCAA Tournament run this weekend, traveling to Middlebury, Vt. for the next rounds of the tournament. After making their first Sweet Sixteen since 2019 with an 11-8 comeback win over Stevens on Sunday, the Mammoths will take on the NJAC Champion, No. 10-ranked TCNJ. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 16.
 
Offensively, Amherst is led by IWLCA All-Region selections Kate Becker (9 goals, 47 assists), Emily Petersen (44 goals, 5 assists), and Bridget Finley (43 goals, 1 assist). The senior trio currently rank one, two, and three on the team in total points, respectively, and form a formidable attacking trio for an Amherst team that averages 13.3 goals per game. On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore goalkeeper and 2025 NESCAC Rookie of the Year Lily Samoska has started 15 games, going 13-2 while making 87 stops on the way to a 7.99 GAA. All-Region defender Jordan Kauftheil and fellow defender Annie McCarthy anchor the middle of unit that has held opponents to just 7.6 goals per game. Just a first year, Kauftheil leads the team in ground balls (44) and caused turnovers (26).
 
TCNJ enters the weekend coming off an 18-11 win over Messiah in the NCAA Second Round. All-Region selection Marissa Lucca leads the team offensively, having racked up a team-high 130 points on 78 goals and 52 assists. She ranks fourth in Division III in points and points per game, and eighth in goals. All-Region honoree CJ Kole (46 goals, 22 assists) and fellow attacker Kelly Nevins (60 goals, 21 assists) also contribute heavily to the Lions' attack. Defensively, All-Region player Abby Williams has caused the most turnovers (59) and picked up the most ground balls (52), while Kole (53), Lucca (47) and All-Region midfielder Emily Potenza (41) each sit above 40 draw controls on the year. All-Region goalie Hailey Wexler owns the fifth-best GAA in Division III at 5.88 on the way to earning 17 wins in the cage.  
 
Amherst currently holds a 6-3 record all-time against the Lions, with their last clash coming on March 16, 2019. That day, the Mammoths bested the Lions on Pratt Field, taking a 5-0 lead in the first half on the way to an 11-6 win. Attacker Becky Kendall lead Amherst with 3 goals during that contest.
 
The winner of that matchup will play the winner of the earlier game between No. 1 Middlebury and No. 17 Rowan, who will face each other for the first time earlier in the day. If Amherst were to face Middlebury, they would square off for the second time this season: the first came on April 20, where the Panthers claimed a 13-7 victory. Amherst is 7-55 all-time against Middlebury. The Mammoths have never played the Profs in the sport of women's lacrosse.  
 
The weekend winner advances to the Final Four, and will play in the NCAA Semifinals on Friday, May 22 at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. Games will be played at Judson Stadium, with start times yet to be determined.