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Williams College

Home of the Williams College EPHS
Alex Bethencourt
Beneyam Hassen
1
Wash. & Lee W&L (14-3-6, 6-0-4)
1
Williams WIL (12-4-4, 5-3-2)
Wash. & Lee W&L
(14-3-6, 6-0-4)
1
Final
1
Williams WIL
(12-4-4, 5-3-2)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 OT 3 F
Wash. & Lee W&L 1 0 0 0 0 1
Williams WIL 1 0 0 0 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Penalty Kick Shootout Sees Williams Fall to Washington & Lee in NCAA Tournament Round of 16

Carlisle, PA - It would come down to the wire in today's match between the Williams College Ephs (12-4-4) and the Washington & Lee Generals (14-3-6). It seemed that whenever one side would find an edge or a bit of momentum, the other would respond quickly and claw their way back to even footing. Washington & Lee would draw first blood off of some good chip ball combination play that got the ball to Generals attacker Will Luik inches from goal, where he was able to poke the rock into the back of the net.

The Ephs would take the lead a back only 4 minutes later when first year Alex Bethencourt hit a good pass into the box that found the feet of lurking sophomore Andrew Coelho. Coelho, with poise and technique, buried the ball into the bottom left corner. Williams would gain momentum from their equalizer and continue to generate chances while staying organized defensively. Neither side would find a winner, however, and the match would go to overtime and eventually penalty kicks, where senior goalkeeper Ben Diffley would have a phenomenal performance, making two key saves. Generals goalkeeper Will Joseph would have an equally strong performance, making three penalty saves, and in the end, a well-taken kick from the goalscorer Will Luik would see Washington & Lee defeat Williams 4-3 and advance to the NCAA tournament quarter finals. 

The first scoring opportunity came in the 13th minute when a bad clearance found its way to Ryan Sharpe, who hit a good shot on goal from the left outside of the box. Senior goalkeeper Ben Diffley, unfortunately for the Generals, was well-positioned and made the save with ease. 

In the 18th minute, junior Evan Vasquez pounced on a bad pass and then split two defenders running at goal before he was brought down violently a few yards out of the box. Senior Tate Michelson stepped up to take the free kick and bent the ball around the wall, but it went just wide to the left side of the net for a Washington & Lee goal kick. 

It would be the Generals who would strike first, in the 29th minute of play, off a free kick that found the head of forward Weyimi Abeyegbe, who flicked the ball on to teammate Buster Cohuig. Cohuig, at the top of the box, chipped the rock into the danger zone, and in full pinball fashion, the ball was redirected yet again before it fell to forward Will Luik, who had pierced through the Williams defense with a run in behind. Luik, a step ahead of his marker, was able to poke the bouncing ball past keeper Ben Diffley, giving Washington & Lee the early 1-0 lead. 

The Ephs would find an instant response in the 33rd minute when sophomore Spencer Mix played a ball in between the lines to Alex Bethencourt, who played a diagonal pass to Andrew Coelho in the left channel. Generals captain Asa Tuck attempted to cut off the delivery, but Coelho got there first and took a touch past Tuck, absolutely dusting him and getting into space in the left side of the box. The sophomore recognized the moment and, with composure, slotted an impossible-to-block shot into right side setting, putting Washington & Lee's short-lived lead to an end, tieing the match 1-1. 

In the 44th minute, Willaims would earn another free kick around 15 yards outside the box, but this time it would be Alex Bethencourt, who scored from a set piece in his debut game against Wheaton College, who would take the kick.  Bethencourt struck the ball with pace and it dipped over the wall and went to the ground quickly, causing it to bounce on goal. Generals goalkeeper Will Joseph would meet the moment, however,  getting low with an excellent diving save to deny Bethencourt and prevent Williams from taking the lead. With that, the first half ended even at 1-1. 

The Ephs would nearly score in the 52nd minute when Andrew Coelho, moving with the ball on the right side of the box, caught the General defense by surprise by slipping a pass between the legs of Washington & Lee defender and goalscorer Will Luik into the diagonal movement of first year Ali Coleman. Coleman took a touch inside and fired a shot off, but it went just over the bar. 

In the 64th minute of play, a good ball over the top fell to Generals forward Dimitri Tulloch as he was running at goal, one-on-one with Williams keeper Ben Diffley.  It seemed certain that Tulloch would score, but senior Felipe Gutierrez had other ideas and made a miraculous recovery run and was able to tussle Tulloch's body weight just enough to get him off balance, forcing a weak shot that Diffley, with good movement, was able to smother. 

Williams saw their life flash before their eyes in the 88th minute when Washinton & Lee defender Spencer Furman hit a ball across the box that bounced to forward Weyimi Abeyegbe. Abeyegbe, with class technique, half volleyed the bouncing cross on goal, where it would have gone if it wasn't for the heroics of first-year Ben Brown who cleared the ball off the line, keeping the Ephs in it and sending the game into overtime with the final regulation score being 1-1. 

The Generals would find some momentum in OT. In the 93rd minute, a good corner kick bobbled to Washington & Lee forward Ryan Sharpe, who took a shot that sailed just over the bar. 

In the 103rd minute, in the second overtime period, a Generals defender hit a good through ball to Washington & Lee forward Dmitri Tulloch, who was now one-on-one with Felipe Gutierrez. The senior captain stood his ground, forcing Tulloch to take a middling shot that Diffley was able to stop via a diving save. The Ephs would continue to stay organized and gritty defensively, and that, along with similar defensive prowess from the Generals, would see over time end still even at 1-1. The match and a place in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals would be decided by penalty kicks. 

The penalty shootout would come down to the wire. Sophomores Spencer Mix and Jeff Stauffer and junior David Armini would burry their kicks from the spot, and Ben Diffley would come up big, making two saves to deny Weyimi Abeyegbe and Asa Tuke. General goalkeeper Will Joseph would also have an excellent showing in the shootout, making three saves. In the end, it would be Washington and Lee's Will Luik, the goalscorer, who would step up, with the shootout tied at 3-3, and bury his penalty to send the Generals past the Ephs to the NCAA tournament quarter finals. 

A proud Eph head Coach Steffen Siebert commented on the match and Williams' incredible season:
"First of all congratulations to Washington & Lee and all the best going forward. We were able to create lots of opportunities and were very well organized defensively." With today's tie and eventually losing in PK's marks the end to a season which was full of amazing memories on and off the field. Today's result also marks the last game for 9 incredible people our seniors who put everything into this program the last 4 years. I couldn't be prouder of what all 9 seniors have contributed to where the program is today on and off the field." 
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