Women's Lacrosse Falls to Amherst, 20-4, in NCAA Tournament Play

AMHERST, Mass. -- The fifth-ranked Amherst College women's lacrosse team advanced to the third round of the 2014 NCAA Division III Tournament as the Jeffs posted a 20-4 victory over Bridgewater State University on Saturday afternoon at Pratt Field.

Improving to 20-9 all-time in tournament play and 17-2 on the season, the Jeffs advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2008.  The Bears, who are 0-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, closed out the year with a 14-6 mark.

Racing out to a fast start, Amherst netted the game's first seven goals over a span of just 5:47. Krista Zsitvay opened up the scoring at 28:25 before consecutive goals by Meghan Mills and Elizabeth Ludlow just 1:01 apart made it 3-0. Caroline Holliday pushed the margin to four with a tally just 30 seconds after Ludlow's marker. After two more Ludlow and Holliday goals at 25:44 and 25:15, Zsitvay closed out the run with a score just over five minutes after the opening draw.

Successfully converting a free-position attempt with 23:45 on the clock, Lauren Geary put the visitors on the board, but Alex Philie answered on the other end thanks to a Coco Kusiak feed. Carrying the ball on the right post, Mia Haugton found a cutting Mills in front for Amherst's ninth tally. Keeping pace, BSU's Taylor Clancy posted a score just 30 seconds later, but Philie came right back with a free-position goal to make it 10-2.

Ahead 13-2 at the intermission, the Purple & White picked up where they left off, with Ludlow finding the back of the net just 59 seconds into the period. Mills kept things going with a goal at 26:00 before Clancy scored to trim the Bridgewater State deficit to 15-3. Getting the Jeffs back on track, Holliday notched two-straight scores with a Devin O'Connor tally pushing the margin to 18-3 with 14:59 on the clock.

Owning a 14-11 advantage in face-offs, Amherst held a decisive 29-9 edge in shots and 17-11 margin in ground balls. Holliday finished with four goals and two assists, while Ludlow, Mills and Philie each had a hat-trick. In all, 11 different Jeffs factored into the scoring, with Christy Forrest making three saves in 50:13 minutes.

Clancy paced the Bear attack with three goals, while Geary accounted for the other BSU score. Chandler Ross collected five saves in the loss.

Notes: Clancy wrapped up an impressive BSU career as the program's all-time leader in ground balls with 268.  She also ranks second in program history in draws (232), sixth in scoring (243 pts.), seventh in goals (180) and eighth in assists (63).....Clancy is tied for third in the Bears' single-season record book with 71 goals, while her point total of 98 is tied for seventh. Clancy's 75 ground balls and 78 draws in 2014 rank fourth and fifth, respectively, among the Bears' single-season leaders....Geary finished the 2014 campaign with 110 draws, second only to her BSU single-season mark of 188 set a year ago....In just two seasons, Geary is the program's all-time record holder in draws with 298.