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Williams vs Wesleyan Soccer halftime
Beneyam Hassen
1
Wesleyan (Conn.) WESLEYAN (7-4-5, 4-3-3)
2
Winner Williams WILLIAMS (10-3-3, 5-3-2)
Wesleyan (Conn.) WESLEYAN
(7-4-5, 4-3-3)
1
Final
2
Williams WILLIAMS
(10-3-3, 5-3-2)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 F
Wesleyan (Conn.) WESLEYAN 1 0 0 0 1
Williams WILLIAMS 1 0 0 1 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Over Time Free Kick Goal Sends Ephs Past Wesleyan to the NESCAC Semifinals

Williamstown Mass. – There was something different about today's match between the Wesleyan University Cardinals (4-3-3 NESCAC; 7-4-5) against the Williams College Ephs (5-3-2 NESCAC; 10-3-3).  It was a NESCAC quarter-final game and anyone, coaches, players, and fans alike, who were at Cole Field, felt it. Both sides put their life into the match, which came through via individually brilliant attacking moments, give everything for the badge defensive grit, beautiful goalie saves, and strong tactical organization from both the Ephs and the Cardinals. An early goal from both sides, first from Eph first year Ben Brown, followed a minute later by Wesleyan's Chris Porte, added to the intensity and made it clear to both teams that this game was going to come down to the wire, which is indeed what happened when the final 90 ended 1-1 forcing the match into over time. But it would be Williams who would go on to show up just a little harder in the final moments of the game when sophomore Andrew Coelho, in the 103rd minute,  earned a free kick that he tucked away into the bottom left corner of the net for the walk-off, golden goal to send Williams to the NESCAC semifinals. 

In what was essentially the first play of the game, junior Henry Kirkman hit a ball into the box that was cleared only as far as junior Sam Gibson. Gibson deftly flicked the ball to Ben Brown, who took a quick shot that gilded across the box into side netting, stunning Wesleyan and giving Williams the early 1-0 lead. 

The Cardinals wouldn't waste a minute, however, and would find an instant response. It started when a poorly hit cross bobbled to Wesleyan attacker Chris Porte. Porte cleverly laid the ball off to fellow forward Yousuf Saeed who had space and time in the middle of the box and made no mistake,  rocketing the pass into top netting, tying the game for the Cardinals. The statement goal made one thing clear: this wasn't gonna be easy for Williams. 

The Ephs didn't let the equalizer get them down and continued to stay organized. In the 17th minute, Henry Kirkman and first year Ali Coleman pressed the Wesleyan defense with excellent coordination and unhinged energy, which won Coleman the ball back in space on the left flank. Coleman ran at goal and fired away, forcing a good save from Cardinal goalkeeper Mathis Blanc.   



The action in the second half closed end to end. First year Chase Caires put in an excellent slide tackle to deny a Wesleyan winger a dangerous transition lane and win the ball back for the Ephs.  The possession change paid dividends only a minute later in the 33rd minute, when first year Lorcan Mitchell won a second ball and engaged in some excellent hold play, before laying off the rock to sophomore Spencer Mix. Mix took a quick touch and then half-volleyed the pass with power. Unfortunately for Williams, it flew over the bar for a Wesleyan goal kick. 

The first half ended honors even at 1-1. 

In the 52nd minute, the Cardinals almost found the go-ahead goal off a Joshwin Jennings corner kick that found the head Wesleyan forward Josh LaCorte, forcing a great save from Eph senior keeper Ben Diffley.  

In the 67th minute, first year Alex Bethencourt combined well with sophomore Leon Ma, getting the ball to Ma at the top of the box. Ma took a sound shot, but Cardinal goalkeeper Mathis Blanc was right there and stopped the attempt.  

Soon after, Williams thought they had a penalty call when Sam Gibson hit a pin-perfect pass to  Lorcan Mitchell. Mitchell, back to goal, spun his defender, but as he was dribbling away, he was clipped by the defender's back foot in the box. To the Eph's shock, the ref said play on.  

In the 76th minute, Cardinal goal scorer Yosuf Saeed found himself in a good transition moment, running with pace at goal.  Sophomore Atticus Ross and Chase Caires gave everything they had for the badge, recovered quickly, and locked him up. This play exemplified the tangible next-level energy that was in the air for this NESCAC quarterfinal match up, which saw both sides battling hard to find a winner and defending with equally as much conviction. Thus, neither team would break through in the remaining 10 minutes of the match, sending the game into what would be an arduous and exhilarating over time. 

Wesleyan started OT on the front foot, and it would be the All-American goalkeeper Ben Diffley who would keep the Ephs in it. In the 94th minute, Cardinals forward Chris Porte got on the end of a bouncing ball from a long throw, hitting the ball low and hard at the bottom left corner. In what was probably the save of the year for Williams, Diffley got low in a fraction of a second to parry the speedy shot wide. The danger wasn't over yet as Wesleyan hit an in swinging corner kick that was headed to Cardinal Colin Campbell, who re-headed the ball on goal where it would have gone if it wasn't for an excellent goal-line clearance by senior Felipe Gutierrez, who got the ball out the danger zone. 

Sophomore Andrew Coelho, who many thought would not touch the field all season after a devastating preseason ankle injury, had already silenced the doubters with two strong performances prior to today. There was more to come: Coelho, who had been dicing and dancing around defenders all game, was causing problems for Wesleyan, who seemed to only be able to deal with him with violent fouls. They would be punished for this in the 103rd minute when Coelho ran at a Cardinal defender in the left channel and, with a deft touch, stepped around him, forcing the defender to bring him down, as had been happening the whole game. 

The sophomore, having earned the goal range free kick, stepped up to take it. Coehlo moved back, took a breath, and curled the freekick near post, where it bounced past Cardinal keeper Mathis Blanc and pounded the back of the net, sending Williams to the NESCAC semifinals. The walk-off, golden goal capped off a sensational 3-game return for Andrew Coelho, who ran along with teammates into jubilation-filled celebrations at the corner flag. 

Eph head coach Steffen Siebert commented on his side's dramatic 2-1 win: "Fantastic team performance today on both sides of the ball. We were able to be organized defensively when it mattered and made big plays when we needed them! Now we wait to see who we will face next week and we are excited to have another week with the team on Cole."  

Next up for the Ephs is a semifinal contest versus Connecticut College Saturday, November 9 at 11 AM at Middlebury College.
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