Williamstown, Mass. -- Williams (2-4-1) fell 1-0 to nationally-ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology (9-0-1) after a hard-fought battle down on Cole Field this Sunday.
Commenting on the match, Eph head coach
Sarah Raymond said, "While we will never be satisfied with a loss, we can be very proud of the performance today against the top team in the region. We went toe to toe for most of the game. I know that performance will give our team the confidence that we can compete with anyone."
The goal came in the 48th minute when MIT surged in behind the Williams defense, threading a ball from the end line across the goalmouth. After a scramble in the box, MIT midfielder Natalie Barnouw settled the ball and found the back of the net.
Both teams came out strong in the first half. MIT orchestrated numerous attacks up the right flank, driving in behind the Eph defense and sending dangerous balls across the box. The Ephs had their fair share of attacks as well. In the seventh minute, midfielder
Tess Belnap ('23) drove down the left flank and launched a shot, forcing MIT keeper Ava Gillikin to make a save.
The Ephs worked hard in the first half, putting intense pressure on MIT's backline and staying disciplined defensively during the Beavers' counterattacks. The Ephs efforts paid off-- both teams ended the first half with five shots and one corner apiece.
Williams did not appear phased by the goal early on in the second half. They continued to attack aggressively and defend tenaciously, feeding off the energy from the sidelines. Williams outshot MIT in the second half, five shots to four, and were awarded four corner kicks compared to MIT's two.
"We've seen and weathered a lot of adversity so far this year and we left the field today closer than ever," Raymond noted. "That's a credit to our upperclassmen keeping us focused on things we can control and not on what we can't. It was great to have the addition of our senior captain,
Aspen Pierson, in her first minutes of the season. I'm looking forward to adding more of our experience back into the mix in the coming weeks but our young players are growing with every moment."
Williams will face both Amherst and Connecticut College away next weekend as they look to secure their first NESCAC win.
