Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Brooke Diamond made 15 saves and Erin Beaumont scored four goals to lead third-ranked Amherst past No. 4 Gettysburg 12-5 in the quarterfinals of the 2003 NCAA Division III women’s lacrosse championship on Sunday.

 Diamond stopped three free-position shots among her seven first-half saves as the Lord Jeffs (16-2) built an 8-2 halftime lead despite being outshot 17-14 and advanced to their fourth national semifinal. Amherst, which will face The College of New Jersey in the Final Four on Saturday, is seeking its first NCAA championship after reaching the title game in 1999 and 2001.

 Beaumont netted all four of her shots in the decisive first half and also dished out one assist for a game-high five points. Laura Schifter set up two of Beaumont’s four goals and finished the day with four assists. Liz Martin chipped in with a hat trick.

 Julika Blankenship (Crumpton, MD/Kent County) scored twice and added two assists for the Bullets (19-2), who seeking their first appearance in the national semifinals. In the process, Blankenship tied a single-season record for assists by a Centennial Conference (CC) player (62), finishing her breakout campaign with 59 goals and 121 points.

 Gettysburg senior Megan Murphy (Wilton, CT/Wilton), the nation’s second-leading point-scorer, managed one assist while taking 11 shots before leaving the game due to injury midway through the second half. Murphy finished one of the best offensive seasons in women’s collegiate lacrosse history with 97 goals and 140 points, the second-highest single-season point total in Division III. In addition, she leaves as the program’s all-time leader in career assists (97) and career points (284).

 Behind Beaumont’s goal-scoring and Diamond’s goaltending, the Lord Jeffs built a commanding lead at the break and didn’t look back.

 Martin opened the scoring off a feed from Schifter at 2:45 and Abby Ouimet, who tallied six goals and 10 points against SUNY Cortland on Saturday, netted her only goal of the day at 5:52 for a 2-0 lead. Beaumont made it 3-0 off another Schifter assist before Blankenship answered with an unassisted marker at 8:30.

 Beaumont pushed the lead to 4-1 with an unassisted tally before Murphy fed Blankenship at 11:51 to pull the Bullets within 4-2.

 Amherst, however, held the hosts scoreless for the next 34 minutes, 26 seconds while netting six straight goals to take command.

 Kennon Kay scored in transition off a feed from Mary Kate Allen to start the run at 15:21. Schifter then set up goals by Beaumont and Allen to make it 7-2 with 3:13 left in the half. Beaumont gave the Lord Jeffs an 8-2 halftime lead by scoring off a Ouimet pass with 16 seconds remaining.

 On the defensive end, Diamond turned away two free-position attempts by Murphy and one by Blankenship to finish the half with seven saves against 17 Gettysburg shots. Diamond was equally sharp after the break, making eight more stops to maintain her squad’s cushion.

 Free-position goals from Martin and Allison Aldrich in a 47-second span early in the second half pushed the lead to 10-2 before Katie Lowe (Setauket, NY/Ward Melville) snapped the Bullets’ drought with an unassisted goal at 46:17.

 Blankenship set up goals by Amy Farrell (Ambler, PA/Upper Dublin) and Kathy Delauney (Lutherville, MD/Roland Park Country School) to pull Gettysburg within 10-5 with 6:10 remaining.

 The Bullets wrapped up their superlative 2003 campaign with a program-record 19 victories and the team’s third CC title in the past four years. Gettysburg was also appearing in the NCAA tournament for the third time in the past four seasons.
 

NCAA Quarterfinals	1	2	-	F
#3 Amherst (16-2)	8	4	-	12
#4 Gettysburg (19-2)	2	3	-	5

Goals:

Amherst: Erin Beaumont 4, Liz Martin 3, Mary Kate Allen 2, Kennon Kay, Abby Ouimet, Allison Aldrich.

Gettysburg: Julika Blankenship 2, Katie Lowe, Amy Farrell, Kathy Delauney.

Assists:

Amherst: Laura Schifter 4, Allen, Beaumont, Ouimet.

Gettysburg: Blankenship 2, Megan Murphy.
 
Shots: Amherst 25, Gettysburg 31.

Ground Balls: Amherst 35, Gettysburg 35.

Goalies: Amherst (Brooke Diamond – 60:00, 15 saves, 5 GA), Gettysburg (Liz Borucki – 60:00, 7 saves, 12 GA).

Draw Controls: Amherst 6, Gettysburg 13.

Caused Turnovers: Amherst 6, Gettysburg 8.

Turnovers: Amherst 17, Gettysburg 18.

Fouls: Amherst 28, Gettysburg 19.

Free Position: Amherst 2 of 2, Gettysburg 0 of 7.

Attendance: 111.

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