WEST PALM BEACH, FL - The Amherst College women's lacrosse team scored early and often against Eastern Connecticut State University and played stellar defense, as the Lord Jeffs improved to 4-0 on the season, with a 19-3 win in West Palm Beach.

Amherst opened the day scoring just 47 seconds into the first half, on a free position goal by senior tri-captain Maddie Hoeg (Shoreham, NY). Hoeg needed less than half a minute to pump in her second goal of the game on an unassisted goal. The early scores were just a small taste of what was to come from Hoeg during the game.

Moments late, junior Amy Craig (Denver, CO) followed suit, scoring a free position goal and an unassisted goal of her own just 21 seconds apart.

The Lord Jeffs extended their lead to 7-0, before ECSU responded with a pair of consecutive scores. Amherst refused to let their opposition back into the game and ended the half on a 3-0 run to pull away to a 10-2 halftime lead.

Hoeg and the Lord Jeffs offered up more of the same in the second half, outscoring ECSU 9-1 in the second stanza. Hoeg finished the day with nine points, scoring five goals and dishing out four assists.

While Hoeg finished with a dominating performance in the box score, Amherst sophomore Tyler Tory-Murphy (Sea Cliff, NY) was a standout in the midfield.

While allowing just three scores, the Amherst defensive unit was stellar, with Catherine Calvert (Lawrenceville, NJ) and Gretchen Deluke (Lewiston, NY) leading the way.

The victory concludes the Spring Break trip for the Jeffs, who will return to action Saturday for a NESCAC game with Bates at 4:00 p.m.

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WEST PALM BEACH –Maddie Hoeg, Amy Craig and Tyler Tory-Murphy combined for 13 goals to power the Amherst College women's lacrosse team to a 19-3 victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Wednesday evening at Lake Lydal Park.

Amherst (4-0), ranked tenth nationally in the most recent IWLCA Division III poll, scored the first seven goals of the match before Eastern (1-4) broke through on a goal by junior Natalie Sims (Carle Place, NY) with 13:21 left in the first half. Hoeg scored the first two goals for Amherst less than a minute apart in the opening minutes, and Craig added two more 20 seconds apart to give the Lord Jeffs a quick 4-0 lead less than five minutes into play. One of Hoeg's first two goals and one of Craig's came via a free position shot.

Senior Megan Gloster (Agawam, MA) and sophomore Taylor MacDonald (Oak Bluffs, MA) also scored goals for Eastern, which was outshot 34-10. Junior goalie Joslin Wells (Marstons Mills, MA) made ten saves for Eastern, which had lost to nationally-ranked Babson College in its other match at West Palm Beach Monday. All four of Eastern's losses this season have come against nationally-ranked opponents.

MacDonald had five ground balls and five caused turnovers for Eastern, which was guilty of 33 turnovers. Junior Sara Barrett (Bourne, MA) won three of the team's seven draws and caused two turnovers; sophomore Allison Levine (Medford, NY) picked up four ground balls and caused two turnovers.

As a team, Eastern missed both of its free position shots, while Amherst converted four of six attempts.

Eastern hosts Montclair State University Thursday, March 27 at 4:30 p.m. in a re-match of last year's NCAA Division III tournament match which was won by the Red Hawks.

2008-03-20