Ranked No. 17 nationally, the Wesleyan field hockey team entered Saturday’s matchup against the Amherst Mammoths looking to turn their season around. After winning their first three games, the Cardinals stumbled through NESCAC play. They dropped consecutive games to Hamilton College, Bates College, and Tufts University—all top-25 teams, with Bates and Tufts ranked in the top 10.
It wasn’t the start the Red and Black had hoped for. But this past weekend, they had a chance to break their three-game losing streak and claim their first NESCAC victory during Alumnae Weekend, scoring their first victory over Amherst College in 20 years.
The first half ended scoreless. While Amherst’s Mammoths controlled possession and generated most of the scoring chances, the Cardinals’ defense stood firm, anchored by goalkeeper Audrey Pace ’26. Her most critical moment came in the second quarter when she turned away a dangerous backhanded shot that seemed destined for the back of the net. Forward Leila Feldman ’28 reflected on this moment.
“Audrey is a phenomenal goalie, and something that goes really understated is her agility and the way she’s able to move side to side and quickly,” Feldman said. “Amherst had a beautiful shot, and it looked like it was going in, but she was just able to get her stick on the ball and block it. And that really was a huge momentum shift for us.”
Five minutes into the second half, the Cardinals finally had the moment they’ve been waiting for all season.
The sequence started when midfielder Brooke Miner ’28 sent a perfectly lofted ball into the circle, a play the Cardinals have emphasized during practice sessions. Forward Meera Patel ’29 controlled it and then weaved her way past five Amherst defenders before ripping a shot on goal. The ball deflected off the inside of the Amherst goalkeeper’s leg and fell right to the waiting stick of captain Georgia Adams ’26 at the goal line, where she calmly tucked it away to give the Red and Black a 1–0 lead.
“It really was a culmination of all the things we were practicing leading up to the game,” Adams said. “I was just in the right place at the right time. All the credit should really go to Meera. It was truly an insane play and shot. She is so talented, and it is so exciting to see a freshman be so confident and impactful this early on.”
When the ball crossed the goal line, the sideline and stands erupted. The team had been waiting for a signature moment like this, and the alumni, professors, and parents who filled the crowd also understood the gravity of this goal as the Cardinals looked for their first win against the Mammoths since 2005.
“Feeling the energy on the field in that sequence was incredible…” Feldman said. “I will never forget the eruption of joy and excitement and cheers that came from the fans and from our sideline and the way that we had this lightning in a bottle moment of just pure joy.”
The job was far from over as the Cardinals still had to prevent the Mammoths from finding an equalizer. The Purple and White generated nine penalty corners and fired 14 shots, but time and again, Pace and the Wesleyan defense rose to the challenge, turning away every attempt. When the final whistle blew, the Cardinals had their shutout. More than half of the players who were a part of this victory were not alive the last time Wesleyan field hockey beat Amherst.
“This win was a huge moment for us,” Adams said. “We haven’t had the start we wanted in conference play. We have gone into every game knowing that we could win, but it just hasn’t happened. I think Amherst was the first game where everything clicked. We have such a young team, so proving to them and ourselves that we are capable of winning close games against good opponents was so important and something we will carry with us for the rest of the season. Each game is truly anyone’s to win this year, and we want to be the team that comes out on top from now on.”
The Cardinals now face a demanding stretch of three games in five days, starting with a Wednesday night home matchup against Trinity College. They’ll then hit the road for back-to-back contests against Williams on Saturday and Middlebury on Sunday. Both carry added significance: Wesleyan hasn’t beaten Williams College since 2012 and Middlebury since 2000, giving the team the chance to end two more long streaks. The Cardinals return home the following weekend to host Bowdoin College before closing the regular season with three winnable games—an out-of-conference tilt against Western New England University, followed by NESCAC matchups with Colby College and Conn. College, both of whom currently sit at the bottom of the conference standings.
The NESCAC playoffs begin on Saturday, Nov. 1, and the Cardinals will be aiming for their third consecutive postseason appearance.
Sam Weitzman-Kurker can be reached at sweitzmankur@wesleyan.edu.
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