WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – The Williams College Ephs (16-3, 9-1) claimed victory over Messiah University (16-6, 7-0) with a 2-1 win in the third round of the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championships. With this triumph, the Ephs advanced to the NCAA Semifinals where they will face NESCAC member Tufts on November 22.on the campus of Washington & Lee University.
Williams displayed a balanced performance throughout the match, outs hooting Messiah 10-8 and maintaining a strong defensive line, highlighted by goalkeeper Ellie Smith's seven saves.
The Ephs made their mark early after weathering offensive pressure from Messiah, who earned three penalty corners within the first seven minutes. Messiah's Teagan Murrie had her initial shot blocked, followed by an off-target attempt from Jenna Lutz. Williams countered at 8:49 with a goal by Pilar Torres, assisted by Kiki Higgins, breaking the deadlock.
Shortly after, Torres converted a penalty stroke at 12:19, doubling the Ephs' lead to 2-0. Despite Messiah's attempts to respond, including a blocked shot by Murrie, Williams ended the quarter ahead, capitalizing on their offensive opportunities.
Messiah continued to seek an opening during the second quarter, but Williams maintained their defensive composure. At 17:51, Williams' Meaghan Boehm's shot was denied by Messiah's goalie, Joy Lippert, who made several saves throughout the quarter. Williams earned two penalty corners, but shots by Torres and Claire Colvin were saved, leaving the score 2-0 in favor of the Ephs at halftime.
The tension rose in the third quarter as both teams intensified their attacks. Messiah's Hailey Womer and Williams' Claire Colvin both missed key opportunities to score. Ellie Smith made a pivotal save against Messiah's Ellie Lefever, preserving the Ephs' two-goal advantage.
Messiah unleashed relentless offensive pressure in a final quarter in an attempt to level the score. Williams goalie Ellie Smith displayed extraordinary resilience, making multiple saves against Carrie Bair and blocking attempts from Kelsey Heltzel. At 50:47, Messiah finally broke through with a goal by Chelsea Carpenter, reducing the Ephs advantage to 2-1.
The remaining minutes saw a fierce battle, with Messiah earning several penalty corners but unable to breach Williams' defense again. Despite their relentless fight for every inch of the field, Williams held on to their lead, securing the 2-1 victory.
With this win, the Ephs advance to the Division III National Semifinals, where they will face Tufts on November 22.
