Ephs’ Winning Streak Ends in 1-0 Loss to the Salisbury Seagulls.

PRINCETON, NJ – The Williams College Ephs (11-1) suffered their first loss of the season against Salisbury University (13-1), losing 1-0 in a tightly contested match this Saturday. The Ephs' impressive 11-match winning streak came to an end as Salisbury's defense held strong and scored the winning goal on a second-quarter penalty corner.

Throughout the match, Williams had a total of 3 shots on goal compared to Salisbury's 11. Salisbury dominated penalty corners with 7, while Williams earned 1. The standout performance from Williams' goalkeeper, Ellie Smith, resulted in 10 saves, while Salisbury's Abbey McIlvain made 3 saves. 

The match began with both teams testing each other's defenses. Anna Miller had the first real chance at 7:19, but her shot was saved by Salisbury goalkeeper Abbey McIlvain. Williams goalkeeper Ellie Smith had a standout first quarter, making four crucial saves to keep Salisbury from scoring. The Ephs had a penalty corner at 14:41, but shots by Pilar Torres and Miller were again blocked by McIlvain, ending the quarter in a 0-0 score.

Salisbury was able to score their goal early in the second quarter. A penalty corner by Madelyn Reed at 21:32 followed by a pass to Marli McDorman led to the Seagulls netting their goal at 21:41. The Ephs struggled to generate offensive chances in response, and the half ended 1-0 in favor of Salisbury.

Williams came out strong in the third quarter, looking for an equalizer. Kiki Higgins had a close chance at 32:21, but her shot was blocked. Both teams played hard, with several fouls committed on both sides, reflecting their eagerness to control the game. Unfortunately, the Ephs were unable to find the breakthrough, and the quarter ended with Salisbury maintaining their 1-0 lead.

The Ephs continued to press in the final quarter, but Salisbury's defense stood firm. Williams goalkeeper Ellie Smith was exceptional, making six saves to keep her team in the game, finishing with a total of 10 saves and keeping the score 1-0.

"Tough one today," stated Eph head coach Alix Barrale. "Salisbury outplayed us and were very effective in transition. They had us on our heels. Our defense did an excellent job holding them to 1 goal." 

Despite great effort, the Ephs' undefeated streak has come to an end. Williams will look to bounce back in their next game tomorrow against Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, PA, with the match scheduled for noon.