MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – In a rain-soaked affair, the No. 21 ranked Wesleyan field hockey team suffered a tight 3-1 loss to No. 13 Amherst from Smith Field on Saturday morning. Wesleyan drops back to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in NESCAC play while the Mammoths move to 6-4 (4-3 NESCAC) on the season.
 
Wesleyan had a bevy of scoring chances throughout, generating a 10-6 edge in penalty corners for the game as well as a penalty stroke in the fourth quarter, but a lack of finishing from the Cardinals proved to be the difference in a Little Three win for the Mammoths.
 
The Cardinals generated a quality look just 3:23 into the game as Georgia Adams '26 received a pass from Annabel Cincotta '25 deep in the arc. The sophomore forward carried to her right and sent a shot that beat Amherst goalie Sara Nidus but was saved off the line by Maya Harrington.
 
Amherst controlled play in the late stages of the first quarter and a crucial turnover deep in the Cardinals end led to a penalty corner with 11 seconds left in the frame. The insert went to Muffie Mazambani who saw her initial shot saved by Audrey Pace '26 but the rebound fell to Sam Maynard who buried a goal with just three seconds left on the clock.
 
Maynard had a moment of brilliance in the second quarter to make it 2-0 Amherst as she carried the ball on her stick for several steps, running past the Wesleyan defense towards goal. As she neared the cage, she dropped the ball from her stick and poked home a goal out of mid-air with just over nine minutes left in the second.
 
Wesleyan had several quality looks off penalty corners with the insert going to Sydney Cameron '26 at the top of the arc, as a few hard shot attempts looking for a deflection in front skidded just wide on three occasions. Then, against the run of play, Amherst found another goal as Kat Mason hit the post off a penalty corner and Kate Smith was there to nudge home the rebound goal to make it 3-0 Amherst heading into the fourth.
 
More pressure came from the Cardinals, eventually leading to a penalty stroke with 7:23 remaining, but Helen Deretchin '25 saw her chance denied by Nidus who moved to her right to easily handle the attempt.
 
The Cardinals finally found the back of the net with 1:30 remaining as Adams inserted to Imani Ochieng '25 at the left wing on a penalty corner. Ochieng's shot attempt found the stick of Adams right in front and the sophomore finished to account for the 3-1 result.
 
Wesleyan pushed for an equalizer all throughout the second half, outshooting Amherst 11-2 in the final two quarters and generating eight penalty corner opportunities.
 
Adams' goal is her team and NESCAC-leading 11^th of the season while Ochieng leads the team with five assists.
 
A busy week of games against ranked opponents concludes on Sunday at Noon as the Cardinals travel to take on No. 10 Bates.