Williamstown Mass.-- There was no shortage of fans at the first round match of the NCAA tournament between the Manhattanville University Valiants (13-8-1) and the Williams College Ephs (11-4-3). Williams controlled the match through and through, dominating possession and engaging in fantastic combination play in the final third for the whole 90 minutes. A win for the Ephs seemed certain when sophomore Andrew Coelho scored early, but an equalizing goal from the Valiants in the 30th minute of play had some in the Williams camp briefly worried. The Ephs would respond quickly, however, and retake control of the game. In the 47th minute of play, first year Lorcan Mitchell pounced on a poor back pass by Manhattanville and buried home what would be the winning goal for the Ephs. A 61st-minute goal for first year Alex Bethencourt would ice it, and Williams would win the day 3-1, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Ephs took charge of the game right away. The pressure started in the 6th minute when sophomore Jeff Stauffer got on the end of a good ball into the box and attempted a rare header chip shot that would have curled into the top corner had it not been for a tip save from Manhattanville goalkeeper Luis Granados,
The Ephs continued to control the tempo of the game, and in the 19th minute, the heat would prove too much for the Valiants when sophomore Atticus Ross headed a second ball into the box. Junior Mohamed Keussom, a step faster than his marker, charged at the ball in the box. Before he could get there, keeper Luis Granados made a brazen attempt at the rock and clipped Keussom in the box. If you didn't hear the whistle, the rocus roar from the 300+ crowd at Cole Field made it clear: it was a penalty for Williams.
It would be read hot Andrew Coelho, who would step up to take the kick from the spot. The sophomore took two steps back and fired the shot low and hard, but Luis Granados, who, despite the scoreline, had a great game, got to the ground quickly and parried the ball off the goal line. Coelho, poised and focused, would make the miss all but forgotten as he ran onto the keeper's save and buried it home, giving Williams the 1-0 lead.
The Ephs wouldn't let up. In the 27th minute, some excellent 1- 2 combination play between sophomores Kellan Grace and Spencer Mix sent Grace flying down the right wing. Faking a shot, Grace dished the ball to first year Alex Bethencourt, who, unmarked, cracked a clean shot that went just wide.
In the 30th minute, Williams was reminded just how quickly a goal can change the complexion of a game, when the Valiants were awarded a free kick just outside the 18. The kick pinged off the wall, but Mahattanville midfielder Alec Pineda did well to win the second ball. Pineda took a touch to the right and and shot the rock low and hard at far post side netting. Senior goalkeeper
Ben Diffley miraculously sprung low and got glove to ball in a full stretch dive, but he didn't get quite enough on it, and by just inches, it snuck into the right side of the goal equalizing the game 1-1.
Williams would recover from the against the run of play goal and retake control of the game. In the 38th minute, Alex Bethencourt danced around a couple of defenders on the right side of the box and laid the ball off to Lorcan Mitchell, who hit a good shot that went just wide on the left. The half ended 1-1, with the Ephs hungry to crush any hope the Valiants had of staying in the game.
That is exactly what they did at the start of the second half, in the 47th minute, when Valiant defender Kyle Knussman, in a play that will certainly keep him up at night, hit an errant back pass to goalkeeper Luis Granados.
Lorcan Mitchell, having none of it, pounced on the scuffed pass and, with only the keeper in his way, buried the ball into the back of the net, reclaiming the lead for the Ephs by a score of 2-1. This goal was Mitchell's 8th of the season, highlighting just how much of an impact he has had this year.
Mitchell almost got another in the 50th minute when junior Henry Kirkman hit a line-breaking pass across the box into his run into space. Mitchell was one-on-one with keeper Luis Granados and took a shot, but Granados made himself big and prevented the first year from getting a second goal.
In the 53rd minute of play first year Ben Brown almost had himself a worldly when he dribbled the ball into space in the final third. In "why not" decision, Brown rocketed a shot from deep, but unfortunately for the Ephs, it floated just over the bar for a Manhattanville goal kick.
The cracks grew larger and larger for the Valiants defense, and in the 61st minute, they would concede yet again. The goal started when Mohamed Keussom challenged for a ball in midfield that bounced to senior Felipe Gutierrez. The captain, recognizing a transition opportunity, drove the ball forward and hit a bending ground pass that somehow circumnavigated its way around a Manhattanville defender into the run of Alex Bethencourt. It was an incredible pass, and Bethencourt was determined to make sure it was not wasted. The first year chopped up the flailing defenders trying to stop him and poked the ball past keeper Luis Granados, putting the Ephs up 3-1 and stamping out any lingering doubt on who would win this game.
As the game went on, Williams would continue to pile on chance after chance, including a 75th-minute technical half-volley shot that went wide from senior Dylan Kelemen. To Manhattanville's relief, the final whistle eventually came, with the Ephs winning the day in a dominant performance 3-1, sending them through to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
Eph head Coach Steffen Siebert commented on his side's victory: "Great performance from the team today, especially on the ball. We were able to create many good scoring opportunities through some fantastic combination play in the attacking third. Couldn't be happier we rewarded ourselves with 3 goals to be able to play another game on Cole Field tomorrow."
Williams will play again tomorrow at 1:00 PM against Messiah who advanced on penalty kicks to get past Cortland.
