Women’s Soccer Stumbles in Sweet Sixteen, Loses 2-1 to William Smith

On Saturday, Nov. 17, the Amherst women’s soccer team concluded its 2018 campaign with a 2-1 loss to William Smith College in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division III tournament. The early stages of the match were controlled by the Herons, who created three corner kicks and registered two shots on goal in the first seven minutes of the game.

This early offensive pressure paid off for William Smith in the 20th minute, when Megan Barwick, the Herons’ leading scorer and captain, slotted a shot into the side netting off of a precise cross by Julia Keogh.

The next 25 minutes featured back and forth action, with both teams generating several promising chances, but neither able to find the back of the net. As the whistle blew to end the half, the scoreline remained 1-0 in favor of the William Smith.

Following halftime, the Mammoths came out onto the pitch rejuvenated and determined. It took only five minutes for Amherst to find the equalizer, when the Mammoths’ leading scorer, Rubii Tamen ’19, scored her 16th goal of the season and 10th in the last eight games. Caleigh Plaut ’19, after dribbling the ball down the sideline, placed a through ball to Tamen, who was streaking down the center of the field. Tamen took a touch and sent the ball underneath the Herons’ keeper to bring the score even with 40 minutes left in the match

Amherst goalkeeper Antonia Tammaro ’21 kept the match knotted at one-goal apiece down the stretch with a few important saves. A William Smith free kick from outside the 18-yard box looked like it would sneak into the top corner of the frame until a diving Tammaro pushed it just wide.

The game remained tied as the end approached, but Amherst seemed to be gaining some momentum, peppering the hosts’ net with several dangerous shots. As the final minutes of the match ticked away, the game looked like it would head to extra time until, in the 89th minute, Keogh broke through the Mammoths’ defense to score the heartbreaking game winning goal.

Both teams finished with 14 shots and both keepers ended the match with with seven saves each. Tammaro ended her sophomore season with a record of 11-2-2 with a 0.46 goals against average, and the Mammoths finished the season with an impressive 15-3-2 record.