Middletown, CT – On a blustery Saturday afternoon, the Williams College Ephs (9-5, 6-3) looked to keep rolling as they faced the #18 Wesleyan University Cardinals (8-6, 4-5). A courageous goal from Cade Shuckman late in the fourth quarter would set the Ephs ahead as they held on to defeat 18th ranked Wesleyan.
The Ephs looked to make it three wins in a row with the Little Three title on the minds of both teams. Williams would make a statement early, with Ian Kim scoring off the faceoff win just six seconds into the contest. Wesleyan would be swift in their answer as they would level the game, however, Jesse Shapiro made sure their confidence would not swell. His goal would put the Ephs ahead 2-1 just a few minutes into the game. Wesleyan would once again respond with a goal of their own, but the ball was in Williams' court. A few costly turnovers and penalties would cost the Cardinals momentum as the Ephs would capitalize with Shapiro making the game 3-2. Finlay MacKnight would cap off the first period scoring as he extended the lead to 4-2.
Calvin Caputo would quickly add to the lead as some sweet passing would set him up for the man-up tally. Matthew Freitas, unsurprisingly, would come up with several huge saves early in the second, including a beautiful 1-on-1 stop from right in front of the cage. His saves in the second quarter would keep the Ephs ahead and allow the offense to work. MacKnight would find his second of the game to increase the lead to 6-2 which would prove to be important. The Cardinals began to mount a comeback and turned up the heat late in the first half. They would bury two quick goals to bring the game to 6-4 going into halftime.
The third frame would be one of great contention. Two goals for each side would mean the Ephs' two goal lead would be intact heading into the fourth quarter. Harrison Cross and Spencer Goodbar would draw the goals for Williams to maintain their slender lead.
Into the fourth quarter with the Little Three Championship on the line and tensions rising. Wesleyan would make a quick charge to tie the game at 8-8 early into the final frame. The Ephs would catch a huge break as Cade Shuckman put his body on the line to put Williams up 9-8. On the shot, he was cross-checked by a steaming Cardinal, putting the Ephs on a crucial man-advantage. Ryan Johnson would unleash a bullet into the goal, doubling the lead to 10-8. The remainder of the game was dominated by Wesleyan, doing everything they could to get back into the game. After a goal with five minutes on the clock, Wesleyan would drag the game to 10-9, déjà vu from the Ephs last Little Three matchup with Amherst. With a minute remaining, Wesleyan called a timeout with possession and something to prove. A few passes zipped around, but a massive turnover created by the Ephs' defense gave Williams the ball with seconds on the clock. The offense would run the clock down as Williams stormed the field, winning 10-9 and capturing the Little Three title.
After the victory, Coach McCormack said this of the team: "Matthew's performance today was outstanding, he has been the backbone of our team all year. Happy to see our man-up group contributing today, every goal matters in these tough conference games."
The Ephs will close out the regular season at home on Wednesday as they host Middlebury at 6 PM.
