Ephs Outlast the Continentals 1-0 in Midweek Thriller

CLINTON, NY. -- The Williams College Ephs (3-0-0, 1-0-0 NESCAC) beat the Hamilton College Continentals (0-1-2, 0-1-1 NESCAC) 1-0 on the road in an exciting shutout victory.

The first half was a familiar story, as the Ephs used their physicality to make the midfield impassable, forcing both teams to rely, offensively, on the counter attack. The Ephs grabbed the lone goal of the game when an Eamon Gara Grady '24 header was met by Mohammed Keussom, finishing with a fine, powerful volley into the net. 

from a well worked set piece. From the left hand sideline, Henry Kirkman '26 sent a long throw-in into the box. Eamon Gara Grady '24, won the header, and sent it over the goalie, towards the back post, where Mohammed Keussom met it, flying in and finishing with a fine, powerful volley into the empty net. 

There were a few other offensive highlights in the opening half, as freshmen Spencer Mix and Atticus Ross, on the counter, made some good 1-2 combinations to open up the defense. Mix, with some nifty dribbling, beat a few defenders and maneuvered himself into the box, where he was brought down, but no foul was called. 

Five minutes later, in the 39', an attempted bicycle kick by Evan Vasquez '26 got the crowd on their feet, but his effort sailed well over the crossbar.

Hamilton's closest chance came when Ben Diffley '24, the 2022-23 D3 Goalie of the Year, came off his line a little too early and was only able to make a partial clearance of the ball. The play ended in a goal kick, though, and in general Hamilton looked physically outmatched, and were unable to muster anything exceptionally dangerous in the final third, despite enjoying a fair share of the possession.

As both teams got settled into the second half, the game opened up a bit. Whether it was fatigue or personnel changes, the Eph's midfield wall softened a bit, and both teams began to rely a little less on the long ball. The Ephs, with the lead, sat more men back behind the ball, but on the attack looked emboldened, willing to take players on and looking to make something happen.

It was the Continentals, though, who dominated the offensive opportunities in the second half, especially toward the end. On the counter, they broke with quality, direct build up play, and were finally able to find a way to build through the midfield and sustain pressure. Ultimately, though, they were lacking that essential venom in their efforts on goal. Ben Diffley was there to make a series of manageable saves, and didn't look too bothered.

Mo Keussom, the goal scorer, was a bright spot on offense for the Ephs, using his speed and 1v1 ability to keep pressure on the Continentals. He was an always present, always potent threat on the counter attack, and his pressing, part of an admirable team effort, meant that Hamilton's back line could never get too comfortable. 

The Ephs got through the final few minutes of the contest, keeping men back on defense, taking the ball to the corner, and were able to preserve their lead, and secure their victory.

Eph head coach Steffen Siebert commented, "It was a great way to open up league play with a great performance by our guys against a very good Hamilton team. All focus goes to Bates now."

With their third consecutive shutout, the Ephs moved to 3-0-0 and got their first win in their first game of NESCAC play. The Continentals, conversely, fell to 0-1-2, and 0-1-1 against NESCAC opponents. 

Next up for the Ephs is a trip to Maine, where they will face Bates on Saturday.