AMHERST, Mass. – Rachael Abernethy '16 netted a hat trick and Hannah Guzzi '18 scored her first collegiate goals to help lift the No. 20 Amherst College women's soccer team to a 6-0 victory over Mount Holyoke College on Wednesday afternoon at Hitchcock Field. With the win, the Jeffs improve to 2-0-0 on the season, while MHC falls to 1-3-0 overall.
In a game that saw Amherst own a 17-2 advantage in shots on target, the Jeffs wasted little time as senior co-captain Mel Stier dribbled down the left side of the box and delivered a cross to Abernethy who headed the ball past MHC goalkeeper Zoe Marshall to set the score at 1-0 in the ninth minute of play.
Ten minutes before intermission, Guzzi was on the receiving end of beautiful link up play from Quinn Phillips '17 and Emily Hester '17 and slotted the ball in the right corner for her first collegiate marker which gave Amherst a 2-0 lead.
Guzzi added to her tally in the 57th minute when she picked up the rebound on her own shot which Marshall turned away, and deposited it into the back of the net to extend the lead to 3-0.
Midway through the second half, the Jeffs continued to apply offensive pressure as Megan Kim '15 assisted on a pair of Abernethy goals. Kim connected a through ball to Abernethy at the 68:16 mark who finished with a shot past the outstretched arms of the Lyons' keeper for her second goal of the game lifting the score to 4-0. The duo struck again in the 83rd minute of play with Kim curling a cross into the center of the box which Abernethy headed into the net for a 5-0 lead.
The Jeffs capped the scoring in the final minute of action when Phillips crossed the ball which glanced off the cross bar and fell to the foot of Sarah Zuckerman '17 who slotted it into the net for her first goal of the season which set the final score at 6-0.
Despite allowing six goals, Marshall was solid between the pipes for MHC making 11 saves including eight in the second stanza. Amherst net-minder Holly Burwick '16 earned her second shutout victory over the season and did not need to make a save in the first 45 minutes of action. Senior keepers Meghan Mills (34:20) and Caroline Broder (10:40) each made save in the second half.
Amherst returns to NESCAC action Saturday, Sept. 13 when it travels to Bowdoin for a 12 p.m. contest. Mount Holyoke is back in action on Saturday also, hosting Southern Vermont at 2 p.m.
Story courtesy of Chris Attwood, Amherst Assistant Director of Sports Information.
