Box Score Lewiston, ME – In a game delayed by Hurricane Lee, the Ephs did not wait to unleash their storm, going 1-0 up early on a nice day in Maine. Although it was close, the Ephs never really needed to feel threatened.
The first opportunity of the game proved decisive, with attacking midfielder
Blakeley Buckingham notching her first goal of the season. The ball found forward
Brianna Wright, who played a nifty pass into
Mirabai Dyson, who had run in from the flank. Dyson's shot beat the goalie but was blocked by the left post. Fortunately for Williams, the ball rebounded into Buckingham's path, and the midfielder made no mistake in front of goal. It is every team's dream to score in the first five minutes of a match. Today that dream came true for the Ephs.
Onto the 10th minute, the Ephs had a quickfire string of chances. A ball from
Tori Huang found Wright, whose shot was saved out of bounds by Bates goalkeeper Ruby Reimann. On the ensuing corner, Williams captain
Jaquelin Nordhoff attempted to repeat her trick of an Olimpico, but Reimann saved again. When that ball popped out, Nordhoff's fellow captain
Shae Rashoff played a wonderful chipped pass into
Parker Harnett, who headed over the crossbar.
In the 22nd and 23rd minutes, two solid Bates attacks ended in saves from Williams 'keeper
Margaret Huelin.
In the 28th minute, Reimann pulled off a spectacular save to deny Nordhoff. With the shot on target towards the top right corner of the net, Reimann's fingertips pushed the ball onto the crossbar.
With three minutes left to play in the first half, forward
Bria Abbiati scored her second goal of the season to give Williams a two-goal cushion.
Ansley Burns, deployed at wingback, ran down the field before playing a sweet reverse pass, baffling the defenders and leaving Abbiati one versus one with Reimann. The forward kept her composure, slotting the ball into the bottom left.
In the second half, Williams was less tactically dominant as Bates stepped up their game to match them. The Ephs weathered a period of Bates attacking in the beginning of the half, with second half goalie
Ana Bozzi-Mackay making two saves in the half's first ten minutes.
The game fell into a lull, with neither team able to record a shot for twenty minutes until the 80th minute, when the game seemed to heat up towards its finish. The Ephs held their lead until the final whistle, and will return home to Williamstown with three points in tow.
Overall, Williams played a good game, limiting Bates to shots from non-dangerous positions and rarely losing the ball in the midfield. After the game, manager
Sarah Raymond said: "Overall happy to get a win on the road after a lot of logistical changes over the weekend due to the hurricane. I thought we played well in patches and not tactically smart in others. However, it was again a team effort, playing 21 players in the game so it is all really good experience for our younger players for the future. We are excited to have a home weekend next!"
Having taken the trip to Maine this weekend, Williams will host the rest of the NESCAC's Maine contingent next weekend on Cole Field, playing Colby on Saturday the 23rd and Bowdoin on Sunday the 24th.
