Williamstown, MA – It was a successful Senior Day as Williams soundly defeated Vermont State Castleton 10-0. Seven different players scored in a solid team performance in which the Ephs' goalkeepers did not have to make a single save.
Williams started strong with
Tori Huang and
Sam Phan both getting shots in the first six minutes of the match. It only took nine minutes to break the deadlock, as
Brianna Wright scored to get the Eph attack started. A slipped ball from Huang left Wright at a hard angle but with space to shoot. She put her laces behind the ball and whacked it past the goalkeeper.
Wright got her second of the game after a nice play between
Meredith Tutun and
Sam Phan left Phan with the ball inside the box. She slid it across the goal, leaving Wright to run onto the ball and poke it in for her second goal.
In the 27
th minute,
Elizabeth Stophel slalomed through the Vermont State Castleton defense, driving past three defenders into the box. A brave moment of goalkeeping was the only thing that prevented a goal, as the Vermont State Castleton goalkeeper rushed out to save Stophel's low shot towards the bottom right corner.
Elle Long nearly got to the rebound but a defender got there a step ahead to clear the danger.
Long had a shot of her own a couple of minutes later, flaring the ball just over from the top corner of the box. It was a sign of things to come, though as Long would get her goal in the 32
nd minute. Great interplay between Long,
Greta Pew, and
Lily Mark led to a Mark cross into the box.
Piper Dupies was the first to the ball, knocking it down. The ball fell to Long who made no mistake, firing her shot into the right corner of the net.
Three minutes later, Williams grabbed their fourth goal off of a well-run corner kick. Dupies' corner came towards the back post. The goalkeeper's finger to the ball landed it perfectly for
Reece Willison who had made her run unmarked to the back post. She fired in off of one touch to give the Ephs their fourth of the afternoon.
Wright got her hat trick in the 49
th minute. Mark made a nice dribble into the box before having a shot. Another save from the Castleton keeper wasn't enough, as Wright was on hand to tuck in the rebound for her third and the Ephs' fifth of the game.
Riley Borenstein got on the score sheet in the 58
th minute. A
Meredith Tutun cross from the right flank was deflected by a Vermont State Castleton defender into the path of Borenstein, who sprinted into the box and placed an excellent finish into the bottom right corner of the net.
In the 67
th minute, the Ephs scored their seventh through
Bria Abbiati. Winning the ball on the edge of the box, Abbiati drove into the box weathering a couple of challenges before taking her shot. Despite a tight angle, she blasted the ball into the roof of the net, leaving no chance of a save.
Stophel's phenomenal performance on the wing was finally rewarded with a goal with 15 minutes left on the clock. Getting on the end of Long's cross-box pass, she slotted the ball into the back of the net.
One minute later in the 76
th minute it was nine for the Ephs. An
Ava Simunovic free kick from deep reached the box. Long got her head on the ball and flicked it on. Abbiati ran onto the ball and again smashed the shot into the upper 90 of the goal.
Senior
Kelly Beale got her goal in the 78
th minute. Getting to the ball near the six-yard box she composed herself and shot. For the third time, a quality save was not enough, and Beale put the rebound in the back of the net for the Ephs' tenth goal.
A raucous fan section was on hand to celebrate the win and Williams' incredible seniors:
Ava Simunovic,
Sam Phan,
Parker Harnett,
Blakeley Buckingham,
Kelly Beale,
Tori Huang, and
Meredith Tutun.
After the game, Eph head coach
Sarah Raymond said: "Great way to celebrate our wonderful senior class. It was good to see our forwards combine and find the back of the net, some needed confidence as we go into our last two conference games."
The Ephs play their last NESCAC home game of the regular season against Connecticut College next Saturday at 1:30 PM on Cole Field before closing out the NESCAC regular season with road game at Middlebury on Tuesday October 29 at 3:00 PM. The Ephs are aiming to finish the NESCAC regular season in the top four to secure a home game in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament.
