Williamstown, Mass. - With 3:30 to go in overtime, Katie George of Middlebury (15-0, 10-0 NESCAC) raced down field, but
Liz Scarcella made a clutch stop, knocking the ball out of bounds. After the ensuing corner, the Panthers sent the ball to the top of the circle, where Isabel Chandler reversed the ball to Erin Nicholas. Nicholas took one step to set her feet and flicked the game-winning shot over Williams' (11-4, 6-4 NESCAC)
Gates Tenerowicz.
In a pressure packed game, one goal made the difference. Williams made a statement in the first quarter, controlling the ball and forcing 6 corners. They had trouble getting shots on goal, however, as the Panther defense was consistently deflecting shots and passes.
The second quarter was corner-free for both sides. Scoring opportunities were few and far between with the Ephs' defensive core of Scarcella, Siobhan Morrissey, and Linda Bibeau. Nearing the close of the first half, Middlebury did find a chink in the armor, as Chandler shot towards the goal. Carson Stephenson made an impressive save to keep the score deadlocked.
Middlebury only needed 1:58 to generate another chance to score. Tenerowicz was there, kicking the ball out of harm's way. However, the pressure built, and Erin Nicholas scored the first goal of the game off of a penalty shot. Tenerowicz attempted a split to deflect the shot, but was unsuccessful. With 2:16 left in the quarter, Katie George received a yellow card, shifting the feel of the game.
The Ephs turned up the offense in crunch time, getting 4 shots on goal in the 4th quarter. One of these was a driving shot by Molly Hellman, drawing Grace Harlan out of position, allowing Emily Batchelor to knot the game up at 1. From that point on, Middlebury looked poised to respond in regulation, forcing two corners and attempting 2 shots on goal. This was the case until there was 1:40 remaining, when Hellman led a fastbreak opportunity, sending the ball up to Shea van den Broek, who tried to finesse it past Harlan. Middlebury's backstop held strong, saving the shot and also preventing Batchelor from scoring on the following tip-in attempt.
Middlebury controlled overtime, methodically placing passes in the perfect locations, moving the ball up steadily. When the Ephs did get a deflection, they couldn't translate that to offense, as coach Alix Barrale noted, "I thought we really did not play well offensively in overtime". The 4 corners and 3 shots on goal allowed, including the game winner, were a result of "playing scared".
The shots for the Panthers mostly came from Erin Nicholas, who had 5, while Elizabeth Welch and Batchelor each had 2 to lead the Ephs.
Grace Harlan had 4 saves on 5 shots faced for Middlebury. Carson Stephenson had the one aforementioned save and didn't allow a goal. Gates Tenerowicz had 5 saves out of 7 shots faced.
