Women’s Soccer Falls to Williams, Beats Lynx in 7-0 Blowout

On Saturday, Oct. 1, women’s soccer faced off against rival Williams Ephs in a dramatic showdown. Isabel Stern ’23 got the ball rolling, so to speak, with a shot that forced the Williams keeper to step off the line to save it. While clearly the stronger team, Amherst struggled to recover from an early goal by Williams’ attack in the 15th minute. However, the Mammoths refused to let the deficit faze them and remained a constant threat to the Ephs, sending shot after shot into the box. Sierra Rosado ’25, Brooke Ingemi ’26, (Managing Sports Editor) Liza Katz ’24, and Isabelle Geneve ’23 all had excellent shots on target in the first half. And while the Mammoths displayed their strong skill set, the Williams keeper kept them off the scoreboard in the tightly-contested match. Despite the glaring disparity in statistics — the Mammoths took eleven shots with six on goal to Williams’ eight with two on goal — the Ephs took home the win, ending Amherst’s three-game winning streak.

Speaking to their perseverance and drive, the Mammoths held their tusks high, returning to Hitchcock Field on Sunday, Oct. 2 for their second game of the weekend against Lesley University.

The Mammoths were evidently unhappy with their lack of goals the day before — just three minutes into the game, Amherst’s attack found their way past the Lynx for the first time. Rosado capitalized on a beautiful buildup play, with assists going to both Abby Schwartz ’24 and Katz on a team move.

Five minutes later, Ingemi found Schwartz inside the 18-yard box, who snuck one to the back post and past the Lesley keeper for a 2-0 lead. Still firing despite their lead, Katz put her first goal of the day in the back of the net after only five additional minutes had passed, following an assist from Stern.

From there on out, it was the Mammoths’ sophomores who stood out on the field: alongside Rosado, Patience Kum ’25, Carter Hollingsworth ’25, Alyssa Huynh ’25, Charlotte Huang ’25, and goalkeeper Katya Besch ’25 also had exceptional games. Kum was responsible for a penalty kick that bumped the Mammoths up to 4-0, and just a few minutes later, Hollingsworth sent a well-timed pass to Huynh, who sent the ball soaring into Lesley’s goal from almost 35 yards out. In the second half, Huang, typically a center back, challenged the Lynx defense and earned a penalty kick which was ultimately saved, while Besch made a play on the opponent’s only shot on goal. Senior Sarah Sullivan ’23 (say that name five times fast) sent a miraculous ball flying over the keeper on a free kick from the right sideline, and a few minutes later, Katz scored once again off an assist from Ally Deegan ’24 to end the game with a 7-0 scoreline in favor of the Mammoths.

Despite the disappointing results of Saturday’s match, No. 22 Amherst women’s soccer found success at the end of the weekend, and will be sure to succeed again as they face off against Wesleyan and Bowdoin this weekend at home. Saturday’s game will be Faculty Appreciation Day, and Sunday will be the team’s Senior Day. Roll Hitchcock Field at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9, to support your Mammoths.