MANCHESTER, VT -- It was a hard-fought contest against Babson in Manchester, VT as the Ephs left it late to take the win home. It was the second day of the Manchester College Cup, meaning the win brought a trophy home for Williams.
The game was competitive from the start, with a series of shots coming in from Babson in the first five minutes. The first came from junior Carolina Silva, who picked up a loose ball in the box and directed it towards the goal. Williams goalkeeper
Margaret Huelin ('26) was equal to it, making her first of two saves. The next was a long shot that went wide right. Huelin made her second save of the day in the eighth minute, winning the 1v1 against Babson's Elisa Diletizia.
Williams was also on the attack in the beginning of the game, sending three shots wide and one over the crossbar.
Babson scored the game's first goal in the 28th minute, with Meredith Greeley squeezing a shot into the bottom right corner of Huelin's net. Greeley picked up the ball inside the penalty area and was suddenly surrounded by three Williams defenders. Creating a foot of space and firing off her shot, she took the lead for the Beavers.
Babson's goal marked a turning point in the game, as the Ephs were forced to step up the attacking play. Williams equalized ten minutes later.
Bria Abbiati released
Isabel Konijnenberg down the left flank, who crossed the ball to
Tori Huang, who had made a good run into space near the penalty spot. With just the 'keeper to beat, Huang blasted her shot into the top left corner, equalizing the game.
Right before halftime, Babson goalkeeper Callahan Cottone was forced into a pair of saves, sending the teams into the break level.
The Ephs took control in the second half, with a seemingly endless series of chances. Cottone made six saves in the second half off of Williams shots. There were also many shots off target from the Ephs and many chances from crosses that no one got on the end of.
The Beavers seemed content to play for a tie, and they were only 13 seconds away from getting it. With the clock winding down, the Ephs won a foul near the halfway circle.
Jaquelin Nordhoff sent the ball right into the danger zone, where first-year centerback
Reece Willison got her head to the ball sending the ball into the net and the Eph team into pandemonium.
The Beavers attempted a desperate long-ball play which rolled out of bounds. The final whistle blew and the Williams bench invaded the field, beginning the celebrations.
Eph head coach
Sarah Raymond's commented after the game, "Really excited for my team to pull out that win. We never stopped working and believing. We had to change formation to better deal with Babson's lineup, and I'm very proud of the group for adjusting on the fly and playing a system that we have not practiced at all. I thought we had so many opportunities in the second half to put the game away, created multiple chances, so it felt deserved when we finally got one in with 13 seconds left. It's always nice to win some silverware."
A relentless performance from the Ephs was rewarded and the Manchester College Cup trophy will find a new home at Williams College.
