COMING THROUGH: Kate Becker, right. races past a foe in action this spring for the Amherst College women’s lacrosse team. Princeton High alumna Becker starred in her senior campaign for Amherst, leading the Mammoths with 59 points on nine goals and a team-high 50 assists. Becker’s production helped Amherst go 13-5 as it advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019. (Photo provided courtesy of Amherst Athletic Communications)

By Bill Alden

After totaling 51 assists in her first three seasons with the Amherst College women’s lacrosse team, Kate Becker took her playmaking game to a higher level this spring.

Former Princeton High standout Becker led Amherst with 59 points on nine goals and a team-high 50 assists. Becker’s production helped Amherst go 13-5 as it advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.

“My role definitely evolved over the four years,” said star attacker Becker. “I was strictly in the crease that last two years which I was happy about. We play a lot of zone defenses and I think it favors playmaking from behind the net. Most of the attackers who were starting on the field at that point were seniors and I played three full seasons with them. I was lucky, it is easy to assist and be a playmaker when you know where everybody else is.”

Amherst got off to a hot start this spring as it brought an 8-0 record into April.

“It was great, we beat Tufts early on in overtime (14-13 on March 7) which was amazing,” said Becker. “It was gratifying, we put a lot of work in the offseason. We hit the ground running.”

The Mammoths did hit some bumps in the road as they went 4-3 down the stretch of the regular season.

“The mindset was that at point, everyone had adjusted to what we do well and we had adjusted to what other teams do well,” said Becker.

“We were trying to establish new game plans but also staying true to ourselves. In a lot of these games, there was a lot of pressure behind the goal and they were really trying to mark some of the key targets a lot more. There were certain games where I was more of pivot point just to keep the ball moving which is fine. If the team wins, it doesn’t matter.”

After falling to Trinity in the quarterfinal round of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), Amherst earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. Hosting Stevens in a second round contest, Amherst pulled away to an 11-8 win after the foes were tied 6-6 at halftime.

“It was home, it was Mother’s Day, all of our families were there, and a lot of friends were there,” said Becker, reflecting on the win over Stevens. “We just knew that we had more in the tanks. Obviously it was close but we have some clutch players on our team who made big plays.”

Coming through in the clutch to pull out that triumph, the Mammoths advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in Becker’s career.

“That was exciting,” said Becker. “We did better than we did the year before again. We know we could have made it farther, we had a lot of talent this past year. Even going one round better than the previous year, we are way hungry for more. Hopefully we instilled that in the classes behind us so next year, they make it to the Elite 8.”

In assessing her final year, Becker was proud of the progress she made as a playmaker.

“I think just getting more comfortable seeing what they are going to throw at me,” said Becker. “They put a lot of defenses that tried to send early doubles at me. I got face-guarded sometimes. It was just finding ways to be creative and limit my turnovers with the way that I play where I am feeding a lot. That was a mental part of the game that grew, just staying in the game and knowing maybe I needed to not throw those passes because they weren’t accurate and get the ball to certain people. It was always trying to anticipate the next play and who was going to be open. This was the
season I was most successful from a numbers standpoint personally and also from the intangibles.”

As a result of Becker’s impressive numbers, she earned second- team All-NESCAC honors. “That was nice,” said Becker. “Because of the way I play, I get to pass it to teammates who are open. I give them credit.”

Starring in the classroom as well, Becker, a law, jurisprudence, and social thought major, was named as an College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District At-Large selection.

“I think that is a testament to why you choose Amherst to be in the classroom and on the field,” said Becker, who is currently working as a paralegal in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and is considering going to law school. “It is a really healthy balance to pursue interests, to do a lot of things I wouldn’t necessarily be able to do in Division I programs or even other D-III programs.”

In the course of that pursuit, Becker was buoyed from the support she received throughout her college career.

“As everyone says, it is the people along the way and the opportunities,” said Becker. “The Amherst community will always have your back in more ways than one. It is literally your immediate team, the professors, the people in the dorm, and the alumni network, all of that.”

Along the way, Becker and the team’s Class of 2026 got the opportunity to make a special imprint on the program.

“I was lucky, I came in as a freshman with a coach (Brooke Diamond O’Brien) who was also in her first year,” said Becker. “My grade was really influential in building the culture and deciding what we wanted our focuses to be. It was a unique experience to shape my broader Amherst experience.”