Amherst, Mass. – March 27, 2013 – The Springfield College women’s lacrosse team fell to host and 11th-ranked Amherst College, 8-3, in non-conference play Wednesday evening on Gooding Field.

The loss is Springfield’s third-straight as it drops to 5-4 on the year, while Amherst improves to 4-2.

Springfield’s three goals came from Connie Nielsen, Meghan Flanagan, and Jennifer McDonough. Anne Versprille made four stops and picked up three ground balls in the loss.

Behind junior Alex PhilieÂ's hat trick, the Lord Jeffs picked up its third straight victory. Up 4-2 with under four minutes to go in the first half, Amherst tacked on a pair of goals before the intermission before holding the Pride to just one second half tally and scoreless over the final 27:48.

Meghan Mills had two goals and an assist for the Jeffs, while Marta Randall added a pair of markers. Hillary Densen chipped in a goal and an assist as Amherst finished with a 17-15 shot advantage.

Getting the Jeffs off to a fast start, Densen linked up with Mills just 58 seconds after the opening draw, finding her charging teammate, who snuck a quick shot inside the near post. Pulling the Pride even at 24:18, Nielsen caught a Michelle Dorsey pass just above the crease before wrapping a shot around first-year goalkeeper Christy Forrest.

Drawing a foul inside of the 19-minute mark, Randall converted a free-position attempt to put Amherst back on top before Philie dodged a defender and found space in front, bouncing a low shot past Versprille to make it 3-1. Randall made good on another free-position at 14:07 to extend the cushion to three, but Flanagan returned the favor with a free-position goal in the latter stages of the first half.

Closing the frame out strong, Mills curled into the alley before rifling a hard shot into the upper right corner at 3:47. Looking for more, Amherst tacked on a sixth score with just over 12 seconds left as Mills found Philie in front for her second of the evening.

Cutting into the lead early in the second half, Kelly Gallo found a cutting McDonough, who slipped a shot inside the right post. Wasting little time responding, Philie converted a free-position just 1:01 later. With neither team able to gain traction offensively over the next 25-plus minutes, Densen wrapped up the scoring with just 1:43 on the clock by converting AmherstÂ's fourth free-position of the night.

Finishing the game 14-for-17 on clear attempts, Amherst went 4-for-6 on free-position tries, while holding a slim 14-13 edge in ground balls. Forrest, who finished with nine saves, led the Purple & Whte with four ground balls and two caused turnovers.

Springfield will play a key New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game on Saturday when it travels to take on Wheaton.