Montclair, NJ – Catherine Torres of the Ephs scored the only goal of the game to give Williams (6-2, 1-2 NESCAC) the 1-0 win in their first meeting all-time versus the Red Hawks (4-3, 0-0 NJAC). The Ephs were patient to start the second quarter, resetting at the center of the field before they found Torres, who turned around and flicked the ball off of a defender, sending it into the goal. Before the team arrived at Sprague Field, they indulged in rainbow bagels, but that didn't make them any less hungry for a win after the loss in-conference yesterday.
The aggression showed in the foul totals, as Williams had 28 to MSU's 14. Molly Hellman had two yellow cards in the game, while Kaela Smith had one in the fourth quarter. The Ephs were fortunate to have most of the calls go against them while they were in the offensive half of the field. Also, Coach
Alix Barrale said, "I was really impressed with our composure, especially when we were in that really critical situation where normally, you could just fold." To exemplify that, Williams led the shot total 16-2 and the penalty corner count 14-2.
The Red Hawks allowed the least goals of any non-conference opponent Williams has faced thus far. Previously, the lowest mark was 4 allowed by Skidmore. A large part of the defensive stinginess was Lauren Pickul in goal, saving an astounding 10 shots on goal. Other contributors included Katelyn Osterlind, Evyn Stewart, and Kylie Compton, who kept the Red Hawks within striking distance. One specific save by
Gates Tenerowicz came early in the second half, where MSU came out on the attack. Carlee Thompson received a pass from midfield with only the goalie to beat, but Tenerowicz stepped far out from the net to deflect the shot away. Williams stayed tough, relying on
Emily Batchelor, Liz Welch, and
Lauren McCarey, among others, to lock down defensively and control possession.
Shea van den Broek and Faith Stineman both had multiple shots on the day along with the goal scorer Torres. For the Ephs, Batchelor was especially active, getting 5 shots up, 3 of them requiring Pickul to make a play on the ball. She was also the one to steal the last opportunity for MSU, sprinting down to the other end, sealing the Ephs 6
th victory.
Williams will travel to undefeated #9 Amherst at 11:00 AM on Saturday, October 2nd, where they will look to even the head-to-head matchup at 14 apiece. Meanwhile, Montclair State will focus on its next matchup against DeSales University at 7:00 PM on September 29th.
