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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - The Williams College men's soccer team
notched three first half scores - for the second straight contest-
en route to defeating visiting NESCAC rival Wesleyan 4-0 Saturday.
The Ephs improve to 7-2 (4-1 NESCAC) and remain in second place
behind Middlebury in the NESCAC standings. The defeat marks
the second straight for the Cardinals who now fall to 3-5-1 (2-2-1
NESCAC).
"I'm very pleased with how we came out today." Remarked Eph Head
Coach Mike Russo. "We started right out of the gates with energy
and conviction, and we were able to create a lot of good chances -
many of which translated into great scores."
The Eph offense was lead by Peter Gordon and Conner Smith, who
teamed up for two scores, both off of passes from Smith and shots
by Gordon. Defensively, Eph keeper Andrew Graham's (4 saves)
aggressive style helped earn him his third shutout of the season.
Sam Empson kicked off the scoring for the Ephs in the
10th minute with he struck a sensational direct kick
from just outside the box that hopped past Wesleyan keeper Nigel
Stacey (3 saves) and into the corner of the net.
The Cardinals nearly tied things back up just seven minutes
later off of a direct kick of their own, but an acrobatic diving
stop right at the foot of a Wesleyan forward by Graham preserved
the Eph advantage.
After the scare, the Ephs repulsed Wesleyan and took control of
possession as they methodical drove play towards the Wesleyan net.
The push paid off in the 28th minute, when a series of
give-and-go passes between Gordon and Smith culminated with Gordon
launching a bending shot past the Wesleyan defense and into the
upper far corner of the net.
But the Ephs weren't done yet, as Colin Ainsworth would add
another score before intermission, giving Williams the comfortable
3-0 lead at the half.
Wesleyan made play more competitive and produced several goal
scoring opportunities in the second half, but Graham never buckled
and Gordon would add an additional score in the 78th
minute to close out the day.
"Wesleyan is a great team, and this win is really a testament to
how we are coming together as unit."
The Ephs next play this Wednesday October 15th, at
Springfield. The game will kick off at 7:00 PM.
