AMHERST, Mass. – The Castleton State College women's soccer team closed out its most successful season in history Saturday, falling 3-1 to Amherst College in the first round of the NCAA Division III National Championsip.

Amherst, ranked eighth in the latest NSCAA National Poll, raced out to a 3-0 lead by halftime improves to a perfect 18-0 and advances to the second round tomorrow afternoon versus the winner of the other first round contest featuring Misericordia and Farmingdale State.

Freshman Mel Stier (Deerfield, Mass.) put the Lord Jeffs on the board at the 4:25 mark one-timing home an Emily Little (Sherborn, Mass.) cross. Less than five minutes later, Stier potted her second of the game, this time converting a header off a Sarah Duffy (Fairfield, Conn.) cross.

Amherst made it 3-0 in the 28th minute as Stier hooked up with Little once again, with the former providing a helper to the latter on a cross from the right flank.

After 12 minutes of scoreless soccer in the second frame, Castleton's Courtney Chadburn (North Clarendon, Vt.) put the Spartans on the board, converting in the 58th minute of play. Kelsey Lenney (Coxsackie, N.Y.) dribbled in down the left sideline and slipped a pass inside to Chadburn for the marker.

The Lord Jeffs out-shot Castleton 29-8 for the contest, forcing Castleton keeper Ericka Davis (Cambridge, Vt.) to make 13 saves. Allie Horwitz (Woodbridge, Conn.) stopped two shots in the win.

Castleton ends its season at 17-5, setting  a new high-water mark for wins in a season.