Ephs Strike First, Draw Cardinals 1-1

MIDDLETOWN, CONN. -- The Williams College Ephs  (4-1-7, 2-1-4 NESCAC) didn't get their first shot on target until the 73rd minute, but they made good use of it, putting it away; enough for a 1-1 draw against the Wesleyan Cardinals (6-3-3, 3-2-3 NESCAC).

It was a tale of two halves as the first half was a tight, defensive affair in which both teams locked the other up and stifled any moves in the making with mutually effective midfield pressing. The exception to this pattern came 28 seconds after kickoff, when Wesleyan made a good initial attack and Ben Diffley ('24) made an incredible flying save to put a headed effort over the bar and keep the game even.

The game began to open back up after the hour mark, and in the 73rd, following a Cardinal free kick near the Ephs' box, Mohamed Keussom ('26) released Jake Saudek ('23) into space for a beautifully worked fast break. Saudek carried the ball forward and played a perfect pass across the face of the 18 yard box to first-year Henry Kirkman, who put it past the keeper for his first goal as an Eph. 

Saudek's pass left Kirkman one on one with the keeper, but it still required an expert finish, and he was up to the task. 

If the game was already opened, the goal blew the doors off of it, and just six minutes later the Cardinals equalized.

Wesleyan's Philip Cubeddu skipped past a few Eph defenders and played a ball to the top of the 18, which Lucas Ruehlemann finished with his first touch for his third goal of the season.

After the equalizer, it was attack after attack, and both teams looked likely to grab a second, with the Cardinals perhaps slightly more dominant in possession. 

All told, Wesleyan, who started 6-0, but have since gone 0-3-3, will regret not coming away with a win in a game in which they had many more shots on target and chances to score, but the Ephs, who scored first, will feel proud of their typically sturdy backline and their clinicality with the chances they did create. 

It was the Ephs' seventh tie of the year, with still only the one loss on their record. They return home to host Hamilton College next, Wednesday when they host Hamilton in a 3:00 PM contest on Cole Field.