Amherst, Mass. - The Trinity College Bantams lost a heartbreaking, 3-2, New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's soccer match to Amherst College in overtime on Tuesday afternoon in the team's regular season finale. Trinity finishes the regular season with a 10-3-2 overall record and 7-3 mark in conference play, earning the No. 4 seed in this weekend's NESCAC Championship Tournament and hosting a Quarterfinals matchup on Saturday versus Tufts. 

Neither team scored in the first half however they combined for four goals in the first nine minutes of the second half in an offensive explosion. Amherst senior Emily Masten (Franklin, Tenn.) scored the game-winner in the 101st minute in the second overtime period after firing a shot near the top of the box that knuckled past Bantam junior goalie Julia Pitino (Littleton, Mass.). Amherst outshot Trinity 24-9 however only nine of the Purple & White's 24 shots came on goal. Amherst also earned ten corner kicks compared to just two by Trinity.

Amherst threatened first after ten minutes of play in the first half after a corner kick was bounced around in Trinity's defensive zone, however the Bantams defense held strong and cleared the ball without incident. Trinity had a handful of good scoring chances late in the first half but weren't able to convert any to goals. Amherst came up with a big defensive stop of their own with 13 minutes left in the half after a good service by Trinity senior captain Sheena Landy (Durham, Conn.) on a corner kick.  The Purple & White threatened again with seven minutes to go in the first half but Pitino came out of goal to snag a high floating ball with Amherst attackers in her face to preserve the tie heading into the half.

Bantam senior forward Andi Nicholson (Charlotte, N.C.) wasted no time to get things going in the second half as she fired a low line drive into the corner of the net off a throw in, past Amherst goalie Chelsea Cutler (Westport, Conn.), to break the scoreless tie. Amherst answered less than five minutes later when Emily Hester (Washington, D.C.) threaded a through ball between Trinity defenders to Hannah Guzzi (Southborough, Mass.) who chipped it in past Pitino. The Bantams reclaimed the lead in the 53rd minute when first-year Tricia Pollock (Beverly, Mass.) volleyed a pass to sophomore Taylor Kirchgessner (Bethesda, Md.) who booted an arcing shot into the top left corner of the goal for her ninth goal of the season. It took Amherst less than a minute to re-tie the game via a goal from Hester that snuck past Pitino.

The first overtime came and went without a score, although that was thanks largely in part to a clutch save from Pitino with just a minute left in the first extra session. An Amherst corner kick was placed perfectly in the box and a shot sent destined for goal, but Pitino jumped and punched it just high of the top crossbar to keep Trinity in it.

Masten ended the game just 1:16 into the second overtime period after finding the back of the net to send Amherst home victorious. Amherst earns the No. 2 seed in the NESCAC Tournament and will also host a Quarterfinal game this weekend.