Amherst Needs Overtime to Move Past Bowdoin in Women's Lacrosse Semifinal
Courtesy Middlebury Athletic Communications
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Amherst’s Alyssa Briody scored driving to the goal with a low bouncing shot to the left side to lift the Jeffs to a 13-12 overtime win over Bowdoin in a NESCAC semifinal at Middlebury. Amherst will take on Middlebury, a 19-5 winner over Williams, in the title game on Sunday at noon.
Bowdoin came out strong, holding a 4-2 lead with 11:26 left in the first half. Amherst answered with a pair of goals to tie the game at four, before Lyndsey Colburn scored to regain the Bowdoin lead at 5-4. Dana Kuper struck for Amherst with 41 seconds left in the half to tie the game at five heading into the intermission.
Neither team led by more than a goal in the second half until Lauren Dudley and Caitie Parker gave the Jeffs a 10-8 lead with 14:57 left to play. The Polar Bears answered with three straight, the final tally by Colleen McDonald to give Bowdoin an 11-10 lead. Amherst’s Gretchen DeLuke tied the game with an open net shot on a free position after a foul was called on the Bowdoin goalkeeper with 9:31 remaining.
The Jeffs took a 12-11 lead as Briody made some nice moves after a free position, gaining some space before beating Bowdoin’s Kendall Cox with a low hard shot. Bowdoin hung tough, and would tie the game with just 32 seconds left. McDonald netted the equalizer as she drove from the left side to the middle, where she bounced a shot into the left side of the net. Briody had a chance to win the game in regulation for Amherst, but her rocket bounced off the goal post with five seconds remaining. Liv D’Ambrosio made 16 saves in goal for Amherst, as did Cox for Bowdoin.
