DALLAS, PA - Williams College (11-5-3, 7-2-1) lost in overtime to Johns Hopkins (20-0-2, 10-0), both teams ranked nationally 11
th and 2
nd respectively. Johns Hopkins will move on to play Misericordia University in the quarter finals of the NCAA tournament.
All 90 minutes of regulation time went scoreless, and in the first 2 minutes and 30 seconds of the first overtime 2 goals were scored. Junior
Jaquelin Nordhoff started the scoring off in the 91
st minute, scoring off a direct free kick. Her first goal of the season, Nordhoff sent the ball to the very right side of the goal to score for the Ephs. The Blue Jays responded on the next drive, centering the ball into the box for a chaotic play that ended with a Hopkins shot around goalie
Leyla Kamshad and into the far side of the goal. In the 96
th minute Johns Hopkins took the lead, a centering pass going through the box and shot in strong to the left side of the goal.
The first half of the game was full of strong defense and heavy pressure from both teams. Sophomore
Tori Huang and Nordhoff were key in stealing possession and kickstarting Ephs' attacks, appearing everywhere on the field and not backing down until the ball was in Williams' possession. Senior defender
Maria Chapman used her speed to track down runs from Hopkins and prevent scoring attempts.
In the 21
st minute senior
Tess Belnap jumped on a pass in the box from junior
Claire Tolliver, sliding towards the box and kicking it just wide. Williams defense pushed back hard against the Blue Jays, blocking several hard shots that would have otherwise been on goal. A Hopkins free kick in the 31
st minute is booted high towards the goal, but Kamshad timed it well and punched it out of play.
Junior
Ava Simunovic stayed close on a Blue Jay drive in the 58
th, blocking a hard shot with her body to bring the ball back into Williams' possession.
A Hopkins drive in the 68
th minute brought Kamshad diving out of the box, the loose ball shot wide with Chapman pressuring the offense. The resulting corner kick was headed out of the box and controlled by Hopkins, sending a high shot that Kamshad punched out again.
Another corner from Johns Hopkins in the 74
th was headed straight on goal but junior
Shae Rashoff was there to block the shot. Kamshad had another skillful save in the 82
nd. A pass to the side by Hopkins opened the field for a well-aimed shot to the upper right corner, which Kamshad tracked perfectly to grab.
Regulation play ended in 0-0, and the first overtime consisted of aggressive attacks by both teams, Nordhoff scoring first and quickly followed by Johns Hopkins graduate student Breukelen Woodard who scored both goals for the Blue Jays.
The second overtime period saw passionate play from the Ephs, fighting hard to even the score. In the last minute of play, Chapman sent a ball into attack that resulted in a handball call on Hopkins. With time running out, a yellow card was awarded to the Blue Jays and four seconds were put back on the clock. Nordhoff took the free kick just outside of the 18yd box but was unable to connect with Tolliver.
From Coach Raymond after the game, "I couldn't be prouder of the way we carried ourselves today. We played our hearts out, took the game to them and left it all out there. I am so fortunate to coach this amazing group of women and this season has been a joy! The passion, love and commitment we have for each other and our program is what makes Williams Women's Soccer so special. It is always sad to end but what a great game and outstanding performance to end on."
The Ephs had a strong and dedicated season, finishing a 11-5-3 record in overall play and 7-2-1 against NESCAC opponents.
