EASTHAMPTON — Amherst freshman Moriah Luetjen kept her head in the game facing down Easthampton keeper Addison Barr.
Or at least her face.
Luetjen collided with Barr and the ball in the Easthampton penalty box after chasing a through ball. The ball popped into the air, and Luetjen nodded it deftly over Barr and into the vacated net in the 30th minute Thursday at Nonotuck Park.
“It was either (my head) or my face,” Luetjen said. “I didn’t think it was going to go in, I thought that first touch was a little shaky, but when it went up I was trying to get it in any way I could.”
Luetjen’s first career header proved a game-winner for the Hurricanes girls soccer team, which beat Easthampton 2-1 on the road in their first game in more than a week. Amherst hadn’t played since a 2-0 loss to Belchertown on Sept. 29 due to rain.
That rust constricted the Hurricanes (8-1, 7-0 Pioneer North) early. Amherst kept the ball in the center of the pitch rather than playing it out wide, and its wing backs weren’t covering enough grass to the sidelines to give the central players options.
As Amherst coach Don Fraser cycled more of the Hurricanes lineup into the game, the message and the players spread.
Amherst’s Selma Keochakian fed Zola Higham, and she fired a shot to the far post in the 25th minute. Most around the pitch gasped when it snuck in. Higham wasn’t surprised.
“I got a really nice pass from the side, and we wanted to test the goalie out. She could have saved it, but luck was on our side,” Higham said. “I had confidence.”
After Luetjen’s goal five minutes later, Amherst carried a 2-0 lead into halftime.
“We had two errors, and they capitalized on both mistakes,” Easthampton coach Brian Miller said.
The Eagles (5-6-2, 4-1-2) approached the second half with a renewed intensity.
Easthampton junior Maria Belfakih pulled a goal back in the 66th minute. Caitlin Padeck fed her a wide pass, and Belfakih beat several defenders on her way to the box mostly through will and tenacity before popping the ball into the short corner to make it a one-goal game.
“Just keep trying over and over again, not giving up,” Belfakih said.
The goal spurred Easthampton further. The Eagles earned a free kick just outside the box with eight minutes left. Desirae Redfern looped a shot over the wall and on frame, but Amherst keeper Lily Gleason snatched it out of the air. She made four saves.
Barr stopped eight shots for the Eagles.
Easthampton also produced a corner in the final minute — an opportunity to equalize and finish the rally. The Eagles couldn’t keep the ball away from Gleason, though, as she snatched before any Easthampton player could threaten her with it.
“It’s annoying. I wish we could have done it the whole game, but we’re going to learn for the next game,” Belfakih said.
The Eagles only have three games left in the regular season. Amherst, on the other hand, still has to play seven times in the next 12 days making up postponements.
“This is a big win for us, for sure,” Higham said. “It just boosts our morale and was a great team win.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.