WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS. - With four goals in each half, Williams defeated Johnson & Wales University (RI) 8-0 in the first round of the 2022 NCAA DIII Field Hockey Championship, advancing into the second round of the tournament.
The Ephs came out with high pressure and aggression, and it certainly paid off. At the 3:57 mark, junior Molly Hellman unleashed a powerful shot near the end of the circle, placing the ball into the bottom left corner to give the Ephs an early 1-0 lead. With four minutes left to go in the first quarter, junior Liz Scarcella found first year Pilar Torres, who slotted the second goal of the night for the Ephs. 49 seconds later, senior Shea van den Broek placed the ball in the back of the net to make it a 3-0 lead.
26:33 into the game, Hellman got her second goal of the night, giving Williams a four goal lead heading into the halftime break.
A little over two minutes into the third quarter, NESCAC Rookie of the Year, Kiki Higgins, placed a beautiful pass to Scarcella, who made it 5-0 in favor of the Ephs. With the Wildcats' first threatening attempt of the game at the 43:59 mark, junior goalkeeper Gates Tenerowicz was rock solid to deny the Wildcats a goal.
Three minutes into the final corner, JWU's goalkeeper made two initial saves before Higgins capitalized on the rebound and made it a 6-0 lead for the Ephs. Less than two minutes after, senior Faith Stineman created an opportunity for herself but her initial shot was blocked. Stineman did not give up on the play and found the back of the net from the rebound, making it 7-0. Pilar Torres unleashed a clean shot at the 53:22 mark, making it her second goal of the night and ending the scoring for the game.
Despite the result, JWU's goalkeeper, Madison Flaxington, played an exceptional game, making a total of 18 saves. For the Ephs, Tenerowicz made two important saves and worked alongside senior goalkeeper Carson Stephenson to produce the shutout. The Ephs outshot the Wildcats 30-2, with 26 shots on target for Williams, and 2 for Johnson & Wales University (RI).
"Very exciting game," stated head coach Alix Barrale after the win. "We played exceptionally well especially when we were able to convert in the area, something we have been working on throughout the season. Everyone contributed to tonight's victory. JWU has a phenomenal goalie and their team never gave up so I really like how their pressure defense made us have to earn everything we did. I think that will help us down the road when we go play Wash. & Lee on Saturday."
The Ephs now head to Salisbury, Maryland on Saturday, November 12th, to take on Washington & Lee University at 1:00 PM EST in the second round of the NCAA DIII Field Hockey Championship.
