AMHERST, Mass. --  – In a high-intensity NESCAC showdown on Pratt Field at Lehrman Stadium, #6 Amherst College staged a valiant comeback but fell just short against #9 Wesleyan College, dropping an 8-7 decision on Wednesday evening.

It was the first loss of the season for the Mammoths (7-1) whose seven-game win streak to start the season was te longest of the Sean Woods' era. Wesleyan continues their strong start to the season as they improved to 6-2.

Amherst looks to bounce back as they take on William College in Williamstown, MA on Saturday at 1 p.m. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* The Cardinals set the tone early in the first quarter, striking first at the 11:00 mark when Gavin Lechner capitalized on a Jack Raba assist to give Wesleyan a 1-0 lead. James Bailey doubled the lead with an unassisted goal at 4:14, putting Amherst on the back foot. The Mammoths responded late in the quarter, as Alex Giacobbe found the net off a Willy Doyle feed to cut the deficit to 2-1. However, Wesleyan had the last word in the opening frame, with Ben Burns finishing a setup from Will Shull with just 0.2 seconds remaining, giving the visitors a 3-1 lead.

* Wesleyan continued their offensive momentum in the second quarter as Bailey struck again, this time unassisted, extending the Cardinals' lead to 4-1. Amherst, however, refused to back down. Alex Vlacich responded with a goal off another Doyle assist at 6:39, and just a minute later, Dylan Hsu fired an unassisted tally to make it a one-goal game at 4-3. The Mammoths found their rhythm, and Giacobbe netted his second of the night off an Alex Vlacich feed, tying the contest at 4-4. Momentum remained with Amherst, as Bennett Chow found the back of the net at 4:08, capping off a four-goal second-quarter surge to give the Mammoths their first lead of the game at 5-4 heading into halftime.

* Wesleyan regrouped during the break and wasted little time in the third quarter. At 11:25, Raba found the net on an assist from James Bailey to level the score at 5-5. Less than two minutes later, Bailey completed his hat trick to reclaim the lead for the Cardinals at 6-5. The Mammoths struggled to break through the Wesleyan defense in the third, and with just over a minute left in the period, Will Shull converted off a Raba assist to push the Cardinals' advantage to 7-5 heading into the final frame.

* Wesleyan continued their surge in the fourth quarter, with Lechner notching his second goal of the contest at 7:48 on an assist from Bailey, extending the lead to 8-5. Amherst fought back, as Hsu scored his second of the game at 6:31 off another Doyle assist, making it 8-6. The home team kept the pressure on and drew within one with just two minutes remaining when Doyle finished a setup from Brenden Reilly. However, despite a late push, the Mammoths couldn't find the equalizer, and Wesleyan held on for the hard-fought 8-7 victory.

* Bailey led the way for Wesleyan with three goals and an assist, while Raba contributed a goal and two assists. On Amherst's side, Doyle played a key role with a goal and three assists, while Hsu and Giacobbe each added two goals.
 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Amherst out shot Wesleyan 33-20.
• The Mammoths won 11 of 18 face-offs.
• Amherst collected 27 ground balls, compared to Wesleyans's 20.
• Goalkeeper Brooks Catlin recorded 9 saves for Amherst, while Wesleyan's goalie also made 9 stops.