Ephs Down Mules 8-1 in Conference Opener

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA. -- The Williams College Ephs (4-1, 1-0 NESCAC) got up and running from the first whistle, and never took their foot off the gas to beat the Colby College Mules (2-4, 0-3 NESCAC) 8-1 in their conference opener on Williamson Field.

It did not take long for the Ephs to get on the board first. At the 2:19 mark, senior Molly Hellman inserted the penalty corner to sophomore Pilar Torres, who launched a rocket into the bottom right corner. Hellman herself got on the score sheet less than two minutes after. Accurate ball movement around the circle opened up a clear shot for Hellman, giving the Ephs a 2-0 lead. Sophomore Kiki Higgins' cross in the circle found junior Meaghan Boehm for the third goal with less than 5 minutes remaining in the first quarter. 

First year Claire Colvin notched the fourth goal for the Ephs at the 20:28 mark. The Ephs went into the break with a 4-0 lead.

2:25 into the third quarter, senior Elizabeth Scarcella tallied the fifth goal for the Ephs. The Mules, however, found a scoring opportunity off a penalty corner less than a minute after. Charlotte Epker got the Mules on the board to make it 5-1 in favor of the Ephs. With less than 15 seconds left in the third, Scarcella ran up the field sending in a cross for Boehm to collect and push it into the net with 5 seconds left on the clock. 

Junior Kaela Smith inserted a penalty corner at the 49:36 mark, where Torres again launched an even quicker and stronger shot into the goal for her second score and the Ephs 7th goal of the day. After an initial block from Colby's goalkeeper, junior Margot Bernardo hustled to the edge of the goal and directed the shot in the air to tally the 8th and final goal for the Ephs. 

On the day, The Ephs fired a total of 25 shots with 15 on target. The Mules fired 6 shots with 2 on target. 

"Excited to get our first win in the NESCAC," stated Eph head coach Alix Barrale. "Getting that first conference win can always be nerve wracking. I thought we executed our game plan really well. We started out with intensity. Our goal was to score a goal in the first five minutes and we managed to do that. Our passing was excellent and our press was working to our advantage. Nice to have so many different people contributing to the final score. 

Up next for the Ephs are the Bowdoin College Polar Bears for their second conference game in a row. The contest is set to take place tomorrow, Sept. 24, at 1 PM on Williamson Field.