MANCHESTER, VT – Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College (2-3) fought hard against Williams College (1-2), scoring the only goal of the game in the 64
th minute to win the Manchester College Cup. The Ephs maintained majority of possession in the first half with strong shots from midfield but were unable to get them past CMS goalie Sadie Brown.
In the 8
th minute, a well-placed corner kick by junior Jaquelin Nordoff was headed by junior
Ava Simunovic, bouncing just off the middle of the crossbar. The Ephs kept the pressure strong, with several shots on goal. A shot from Williams in the 15
th deflected off CMS defenders, and sophomore
Meredith Tutun followed up with a powerful shot that Brown dove to block. Senior Tess Belhap jumped on a Claremont ball to spark an Ephs possession in the 23
rd, with senior
Emma Lynch handling the ball well down the field. Lynch sent it back to Belhap who took a shot that just grazed the top of the crossbar.
The first half was scoreless, with the Ephs leading in possession. Midfielders sophomore
Tori Huang and senior
Avery Mohan stayed aggressive and produced offensive opportunities for the Ephs. Senior
Maria Chapman had a strong showing, fighting hard with the Claremont attackers and preventing drives down the field from the Athenas.
Pressure from Claremont built in the second half, with Eph defenders working to clear the ball. In the 64
th, a Claremont shot from about 25 yards out slipped past first year goalie
Margaret Huelin, putting the Athenas up 1-0. The Ephs fought back in the remaining time, with several corner kicks and hard shots on goal. In the 75
th minute, senior
Brianna Binder found space about 30 yards out of the box and sent a laser that Brown jumped and punched up out of play.
Williams stayed strong but was unable to even out the score, ending the game 1-0 for a Claremont-Mudd-Scripps win.
Coach Raymond commented after the game: "This was a tough game, we played so well in the first half, the best I've ever seen us play. We just couldn't quite finish it up. We know that we were playing well, and that this will not dictate the type of year that we'll have. So many good moments, we are ready to bounce back."
The Ephs will be home for their next two games, playing Bates College on September 17
th at 11:00 am, and Tufts University on September 18
th at 12:00 pm.
