Box Score
AMHERST – The Amherst College field hockey team increased its winning streak to three games with a 6-0 victory over Westfield State Wednesday evening, Oct. 14, on Gooding Field in the first-ever meeting between the Lord Jeffs and Owls.
Amherst—ranked 19th in the latest NFHCA national poll—scored at least four goals for the third consecutive game to improve to 8-3 (3-3 NESCAC) on the season, while the Owls dropped their second straight game to fall to 6-8. It was only the second time this season Westfield State had lost back-to-back games.
First-year Katie McMahon (Denville, NJ) scored two goals and had an assist, and sophomore Carly Dudzik (Darien, CT) recorded a goal and an assist to lead the Lord Jeff attack. Westfield State sophomore goalkeeper Amanda McCarthy made nine saves and faced 21 shots, while sophomore Emily Vitale (Cheshire, CT) stopped four shots for the Jeffs to earn the shutout.
It took Amherst only 90 seconds to get on the scoreboard as senior tri-captain Haley Douds (South Orange, NJ) put home a rebound to give the hosts an early 1-0 lead. Douds scored three goals this past weekend during a win over Middlebury, as she now leads the team in points (17) with eight goals and one assist.
The Jeffs added to their lead 66 seconds later when sophomore Sarah McCarrick (New Canaan, CT) beat McCarthy on a penalty stroke for her third goal of the season.
Westfield State nearly cut its deficit in half at the 10-minute mark when junior Kasey Bascetta drilled a shoulder-high shot that was headed straight for the back of the Amherst cage, but senior tri-captain Tierney Healey (Moreland Hills, OH) batted the ball out of the air to pick up her team-leading and NESCAC-best fifth defensive save of the season.
Amherst would capitalize on a McMahon penalty corner in the 17th minute to take a 3-0 lead. McMahon’s pass made its way to Dudzik, who took one touch and placed a perfect shot inside the left post for her fifth goal of 2009. The Jeffs took their three-goal lead into halftime with a 10-3 advantage in shots.
The hosts began the second half just as they had begun the first and wasted no time adding to their lead. Just two-and-a-half minutes into the second frame, senior tri-captain Molly Malloy (Stamford, CT) took a pass from sophomore Casey Silver (Wheelright, MA) and beat McCarthy for her fourth goal of the year.
The Owls put together a good run 10 minutes into the second half and once again nearly chalked up their first goal. A penalty corner made its way to sophomore Jessi Gould, whose shot from the left side was kicked away by a sprawling Vitale. On the ensuing penalty corner, Bascetta ripped a shot from just inside the circle but had it roll wide of the cage.
Amherst came right back when Malloy received a pass with no defenders around her and took a shot from straight on, but McCarthy came up with an impressive save and kicked the ball out of bounds. The Jeffs would make it a 5-0 game in the 57th minute when Dudzik dribbled toward the goal and sent a pass to McMahon, who lifted a nice shot past McCarthy.
McMahon would add the game’s final goal with 4:25 to play when she received a cross from Julie Santosuosso (Canton, MA), who was set up by sophomore Rachel Lupien (Baltimore, MD). Santosuosso’s assist was her first of the season, and the Jeffs would carry their 6-0 lead to the final whistle.
Westfield's Catherine Moriarty beats an Amherst player to the ball.
Photo By Tom Moriarty -
www.mortssports.net