MIDDLEBURY, VT. –Two goals from
Emily Petersen in the final minute of play were not enough as No. 8 Amherst women's lacrosse bowed out of the NCAA Tournament in the Third Round on Saturday, May 16. After receiving an 11-8 comeback win over No. 24 Stevens in the Second Round of the tournament, the Mammoths traveled to Middlebury Vt., to take on NJAC Champion No. 10 TCNJ. A slow start to the third doomed Amherst, they were unable to complete a four-goal comeback late and fell to the Lions 11-9.
With the loss, Amherst finishes the 2026 season 14-4 overall with a NESCAC Quarterfinal appearance and having played in their first Sweet Sixteen since 2019. The Lions improve to 18-2 and advance to the NCAA Quarterfinal tomorrow.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
* Amherst was the first to get on the board:
Mia Raven caused a huge turnover on the defensive end, scooped up the ground ball, and sprinted up field. She quickly dumped the ball off to
Clara Sosa; the senior caught the pass just below midfield with nothing but open field in front of her, ran to the 8-meter, and fired a shot that found the back of the cage for the 1-0 lead. The Lions responded with a free-position goal to even the score minutes later.
Bridget Finley was the next goalscorer, netting back-to-back free positions a few minutes apart attempt to make it 3-1 at the end of the first quarter.
* The Lions opened the second frame with another free-position goal to cut the Amherst lead to one. The next goal was not scored for six minutes, with TCNJ tying the game before Sosa got her second of the day off a pass from
Kate Becker on their next offensive possession. That goal woke up the Amherst offense, with Raven finding
Emma Crotty cutting across the face of goal to put away their side's fifth of the game just under a minute after.
* TCNJ put away two goals of their own in the last four minutes of the stanza to send the game into halftime with the score tied at five-apiece. That momentum carried through the break, with the Lions netting five goals in the first five minutes of the half to open a up a 10-5 advantage.
* The Mammoths found their offensive rhythm after that, as Petersen put away their first of the quarter on a free-position chance. That spark carried through the final portion of the third into their first possession of final frame, where they narrowed the lead to 10-7 with 13:11 to go in the game.
* However, TCNJ would respond, restoring their four-goal lead. A Mammoth rally in the last minute and a half, with Petersen goals off a transition tally with 25 seconds left and a nice finish off a feed from Becker with 2 seconds to go was not enough, and Amherst fell to the Lions 11-9.
BY THE NUMBERS:
* Amherst was phenomenal on the draw, winning the battle in the circle 17-4. However, turnovers negated that advantage, as the Mammoths gave up possession 20 times during the contest.
* Petersen finished with her fourth four-goal game of the season. Classmates Finley and Sosa also played vital roles in their final collegiate game with two goals each.
*
Lily Samoska made six stops against the Lions.
