BOX SCORE
AMHERST, Mass. -– The 18th-ranked Amherst College field
hockey team played host to the Beavers of Babson College this
evening in non-conference action at Gooding Field. Amherst
sophomore Katie McMahon (Denville, NJ) scored four goals to power
the Lord Jeffs to a 5-1 win.
Tonight's game was the seventh meeting all time between
these two schools, with Amherst now holding a 5-2 edge in the
series after its fifth straight win over the Beavers. With the
result, Amherst improves its record to 6-2 for the first time since
the 2003 season. Babson drops to 8-3 overall with the loss,
snapping a six-game winning streak.
Amherst scored the game's first goal with 29:38 remaining
in the first half off a beautifully executed penalty corner. On the
restart, McMahon played the ball to the top of the circle for Carly
Dudzik (Darien, CT). Dudzik wound up for a hard drive, but laced a
pass back to McMahon on the left post for a deflection by Babson
junior netminder Jessica Pashos (Winchester, MA)
for the score.
Babson junior Courtney Weaving (New Preston,
CT) responded with a spectacular individual effort just
2:20 later. Weaving controlled the ball across the top of the
Amherst circle from right to left, and turned her stick over for a
long backhand shot that beat Amherst goalie Sarah Wise (Akron,
OH).
Amherst regained the lead with 15:28 to play in the first half,
as rookie Krista Zsitvay (New Vernon, NJ) punched home her own
rebound on the doorstep. In the final minute of the first half,
Pashos came off her line for a diving poke-check on Zsitvay to
prevent a breakaway shot, sending Amherst into the half up 2-1.
The Lord Jeffs held a 14-4 edge in shots at the break, and
needed just over three minutes of second half action to score their
third goal of the night. Amherst's lead was stretched to 3-1
on a tally from McMahon, with the helper going to first-year Alex
Philie (East Sandwich, MA).
McMahon added her third score of the night with 22:52 to play in
the second half, bringing Amherst's advantage to 4-1. The
Lord Jeff points leader scored her fourth of the game, and eighth
of the year, with just under nine minutes to play, sealing the
result at 5-1.
Pashos made 15 saves for Babson in the loss, while Wise turned
away a pair of attempts in the win for Amherst. The Lord Jeffs will
return to action on Saturday at Middlebury, while Babson will take
on Mount Holyoke at home on Friday at 6 p.m.
NOTE: Taken from an Amherst College press release.
