Middlebury's Amanda Dafonte broke a tie game in the second half, as the Panthers posted a 2-1 NESCAC triumph Saturday at 12th-ranked Amherst. Middlebury (3-1-0, 1-1-0) is home at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday hosting Hamilton, while the Mammoths (2-2-0, 1-1-0) are also in action tomorrow at Wentworth for a non-conference match.

A good defensive play kept the game scoreless in the opening minutes, as Middlebury's Janie DeVito swooped in and kicked away a shot by Rubii Tamen that was rolling toward the goal. The Mammoths scored in the 18th minute when Delancey King's shot from 40 yards out  landed in the Panther restraining area and bounced over keeper Ursula Alwang for a 1-0 lead.

Middlebury tied the contest with 5:08 remaining in the half when Clare Robinson headed in a free kick at the far post, which was taken by Eliza Robinson. The goal was Clare Robinson's first tally as a Panther.

In the second half, the Panthers took their first lead (2-1) of the contest at 61:30. Gretchen McGrath touched a short pass to a charging Dafonte, who blistered a rising shot under the cross bar from the top of the penalty area.

Amherst's best chance to get the equalizer came with 7:54 on the clock, as King wired a shot off the top of the cross bar.

Alwang finished with a season-high six saves, while Chelsea Cutler had four in the Mammoth goal. Amherst held a 13-8 advantage in shots and took four of the game's five corner kicks.