NORTHAMPTON, Mass.--The Smith College field hockey team (4-9) faces a stern test when they play host to No. 7 Amherst College (9-2) at 4 p.m.  The game is the fourth consecutive contest at home for the Pioneers, while it is the fifth straight game away from home for the nationally ranked Lord Jeffs.


Last Meeting:  Amherst dealt Smith a 9-0 loss on October 19, 2010.  Savannah Lawson (Oak Bluffs, Mass./Martha's Vineyard) made nine saves for the Pioneers.

Last Smith Win: Smith last defeated Amherst on October 25, 1994, scoring a 3-2 overtime win.

Smith Overview: The Pioneers had a two game winning streak snapped with a 5-2 loss to Wellesley College on October 15.  Tied 2-2 at halftime, the Blue scored three goals in the first eight minutes of the second half to break the game open.  Allie Stein (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and Kristen Estes (Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth) netted goals for the Pioneers; it was Stein's eighth goal in four games.

Amherst Overview: The Lord Jeffs had a five game winning streak snapped with a 2-1 loss on penalty strokes to defending national champions Bowdoin College on October 16.  Before that, the Lord Jeffs had only suffered defeat at Hamilton College on September 24. 

Smith Player to Watch: Sara Mercier (Portland, Maine/McAuley) has really come of age, with a goal and three assists in her last four contests.

Amherst Player to Watch: Katie McMahon has found the back of the cage 11 times, and set up five more goals, with 71% of her shots coming on goal.  McMahon also has five game winning goals for the Lord Jeffs.

Did you know? With just 7.8 miles separating the campuses, Amherst is the geographically closest non-conference school to Smith.