Photo By Charlie Quigg '09 Senior Margaret Chute is second on the team in ground balls (32) and tied for second in caused turnovers (19).

Jeffs Earn Sixth-Straight At-Large Bid To NCAA Tournament

May 8, 2006

AMHERST, MA – With a 12-3 record and a No. 6 ranking in the latest Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association national poll, the Amherst College women’s lacrosse team earned its sixth consecutive at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament on Sunday night. The Jeffs will host local foe Western New England College (WNEC) in the first round, Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.

One of four teams from the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) to qualify for the tournament, Amherst is 14-6 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, reaching the national quarterfinals six times, the semifinals five times, the championship game three times and winning the National Championship in 2003.

The Jeffs reached the semifinals of the conference tournament, but bowed to rival Bowdoin College in a 15-14 double-overtime thriller on Saturday, despite a NESCAC Tournament single-game record from junior Alyssa Briody (Hopewell, NJ). Briody leads the Jeffs in all offensive categories with 62 points on 42 goals and 20 assists. She ranks fifth in the NESCAC in point scoring, third in goals and eighth in assists. Bolstering the attack are rookies Amy Craig (Denver, CO) and Mary Noonan (West Roxbury, MA) with 36 and 35 points, respectively, ranking them among the conference leaders in first-year scoring. Senior tri-captain Scotty Hanley (Baltimore, MD), juniors Dana Kuper (Denver, CO), Liz Wise (Scarsdale, NY) and Lauren Dudley (Baltimore, MD) and sophomore Maddie Hoeg (Shoreham, NY) round out the Amherst scoring-leaders. Seniors Caitie Parker (Bethesda, MD) and Margaret Chute (Pawtucket, RI) and junior Rachel Lewis (Denver, CO) hold down the midfield, while senior Laura Brown (Bethesda, MD), juniors Maggie Roth (Berwyn, PA) and Emery Sweeney (Darien, CT) and sophomore Linda McEvoy (Rochester, NY) anchor the NESCAC’s top defense (7.41 GAAvg.).

WNEC (13-5) won the New England Women’s Lacrosse Alliance to earn one of 15 automatic bids in the tournament. Sophomore Kayte Devine heads a Golden Bear attack that averages 14.39 goals per game, scoring 70 points on 63 goals and seven assists this season. Senior Alyson Nowell and junior Jess Vogel have 44 points apiece, while sophomore Kaitlin Zangle is responsible for 24 points. Senior Tara Cushman has logged the majority of WNEC’s minutes in goal, boasting 125 saves and a 6.96 goals against average on the year.

The Jeffs and Golden Bears have never met before in NCAA action, however, the winner will advance to face Rowan University in the second round at Gettysburg College on Friday.

FULL BRACKET

AMHERST IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: Eighth appearance / 14-6 all-time (7-0 home, 7-6 road)
• 1996 (Fell to Trenton State, 20-9, in first round)
• 1999 (Beat visiting Colorado College, 21-13, in first round… won at Bowdoin, 15-9, in national quarterfinals… beat the College of New Jersey, 11-8, in national semifinals… fell to Middlebury, 10-9, in national championship game)
• 2001 (First-round bye… beat visiting Wellesley, 20-10, in second round… beat visiting Ithaca, 13-6, in national quarterfinals… beat the College of New Jersey, 11-10 in overtime, in national semifinals… fell to Middlebury, 11-10 in overtime, in national championship game)
• 2002 (First-round bye… beat visiting Colorado College, 15-8, in second round… beat visiting Union, 13-6, in national quarterfinals… fell to the College of New Jersey, 10-7, in national semifinals)
• 2003 (First-round bye… beat SUNY Cortland, 20-9, at Gettysburg in second round… beat Regional host Gettysburg, 12-5, in national quarterfinals... beat the College of New Jersey, 12-10, in national semifinals... beat Middlebury, 11-9, in national championship game)
• 2004 (First-round bye… beat visiting Scranton, 20-4, in second round… beat visiting Plymouth St., 21-6, in national quarterfinals… fell to Middlebury, 13-9, in national semifinals)
• 2005 (First-round bye… fell to Washington & Lee, 11-9, in second round)
• 2006 (To host WNEC in first round…)