Waterville Maine – It seemed like the Williams College Ephs (3-2-0 NESCAC; 5-2-1) were going to have to settle for a draw in a game they dominated, but red hot first year Alex Bethencourt had different ideas. In the 79th minute, Bethencourt ran into a gap of space to get on the end of Spencer Mix's ball across the face of the goal, breaking the hearts of the Colby College Mules (0-4-0 NESCAC; 3-4-0), and giving Williams the 2-1 victory and all the points on the first stop of their Maine road trip.
The Ephs dominated the first half, notching ten shots, five of which were on target. It started in the 14th minute when junior Henry Kirkman launched a throw-in into the danger zone that was flicked on goal by sophomore Jeff Stauffer. Colby goalkeeper Brendan McCarthy rose above the chaos in the box and caught the ball.
The Ephs would keep the pressure on and were nearly rewarded for it in the 16th minute, when via an organized press, won the ball from a pinned-down Colby Defense. The Ephs got the ball to junior Mohamed Keussom, who moved into space at the top of the box. Fom there, Keussom launched a shot bound for right-side netting, and it would have gone in if it had not been for a heroic diving save from Mule keeper Brendan McCarthy.
Colby came close to breaking through in the 19th minute when Mule fullback Oliver Daboo hit a good cross that found the head of a leaping Colby attacker, Mario Simoes, who headed the ball just over the bar, letting the Ephs breathe a sigh of relief.
As the half went on, though, the Ephs began to relentlessly pick apart Colby in the half-spaces. In the 21st minute, first year, Alex Bethencourt, with some combination play, got the ball to sophomore Kellan Grace into space, who hit a line-breaking pass, dissecting the Colby Defense that nearly found the feet of first-year Lorcan Mitchell. Mitchell had nothing but the and goal in front of him, but the pass just skipped over his foot, making it easy to deal with for Colby keeper Brendan McCarthy.
In the 27th minute, sophomore Spencer Mix hit the ball to senior Dylan Kellemen, who, sandwiched between two Colby defenders, one-touched the ball to Lorcan Mitchell. This time, he would get a clean shot off, forcing a quick reaction save from Mule keeper Brendan McCarthy.
In the 35th minute, Williams's domainace would pay off. Senior Goalkeeper Ben Diffley, who had been hitting box crashing long balls from deep all season, kept up his good form when he hit a ball into the Colby box from Williams's half. Alex Bethencourt won the first ball and headed it across the box to Lorcan Mitchell, who turned his body and volleyed the ball from the left side of the box, skidding it through the Mule defense and into the back of the net, giving the Ephs the 1-0 lead over Colby.
The Mules would respond instantly. In the 37th minute, a Colby attacker hit a cross in the box, and first year Ali Coleman beat his man and headed the ball out of the danger zone. The ball took a lucky bounce and fell to Colby defender Jasper Paez, who ripped a gorgeous half-chance volley from outside the box that hit the right post and deflected past senior goalkeeper Ben Diffley to tie the game 1-1, which is how the first half ended.
The second half picked up where the first half left off with continued Williams control. In the 52nd minute, Spencer Mix received a corner kick and passed it Jeff Stauffer, who was lurking in the left corner of the box. Stauffer took a quick shot off the pass, which, unfortunately for the Ephs, sailed just over the right side of the bar.
Only 2 minutes later, in the 54th minute, Williams thought they were going to reclaim their lead when senior Tate Michelson hit an out-swinging ball into the Colby box. Junior Sam Gibson, who just wanted it more than his marker, rose and headed the ball toward goal, but, despite having Colby's goalkeeper and defense completely beat, it hit the post. First year Chase Caires nearly buried the rebound, but the Mules got enough pressure on the ball to force his shot wide.
The next 20 minutes saw cagey, cautious play, with neither side generating very much in the form of chances. Williams was determined to change that, and in the 75th minute, they did. It started from deep when sophomore Atticus Ross hit a field-switching dime into the diagonal run of Specer Mix. Mix took a great touch into space and, with his explosive pace, drove the ball past his defender to the line on the right side of the box, where he squared the ball across the goal. Alex Bethencourt, who has been goal-hungry all season, ran onto the ball and tapped it in, taking back the lead for the Ephs by a score of 2-1.
The Colby College Mules were not finished yet, but the Williams defense and goalkeeper were determined to see the game out. In the 79th minute, Mule forward Nicholas Donnelly beat his man at the top of the box and hit a shot on frame that was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Diffley to the great relief of the Ephs.
In the 87th minute, Nicholas Donnelly would again almost break the hearts of the Ephs when he got his head on an in swinging Colby cross and nodded it to the left of Ben Diffley. Diffley shifted his body well and was able to pounce on the ball and protect the William lead. The Ephs defense followed suit, defending hard for the next three minutes, giving Williams the 2-1 victory away from home.
A proud Eph head coach Steffen Siebert had this to say about the match:
"Fantastic team performance and well deserved win. It is clear to see that the team never gives in and I believe that today was the 5th straight second half we won and another goal in the last 20 minutes. Couldn't be prouder that we keep being dangerous in all phases of the game, which is highlighted by the second half game winner and the great combination that started all the way in our own half and was clinically finished by Alex in tColby's 6 yard box."
The Ephs will be at it again tomorrow, 9/29, away against Bowdoin at 2:30 PM.
