WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS. – The Ephs (0-0-1 NESCAC) kicked off their 2024 season on Cole Field vs. NESCAC foe Hamilton (0-0-1). A couple hundred fans turned out to enjoy the heat and a wonderful game of soccer. While it did not end in victory for the Ephs they put on a strong performance that will be built on as the 2024 season unfolds. It was the start of a new season with a new team, but the Ephs' excitement was the same as years past, and the game got off to a raucous start.
In the 5th minute junior goalkeeper Margaret Huelin made the first save of the game with a routine grab off of a Hamilton cross. Williams' first look came five minutes later, as an electric press won the ball high up the field for a throw-in. The ball got to sophomore left back Piper Dupies, who fired a shot towards the left corner of Hamilton's goal. Hamilton's goalkeeper responded to Huelin with a quality save of her own.
Senior Blakeley Buckingham did an excellent job linking the midfield to attack as the Ephs kept the pressure on. In the 14th minute, Kianna Porter and Tori Huang took a break from bossing the midfield from a defensive perspective and linked up for another good Williams chance. Porter crossed it into the box for Huang, who got a foot on it, forcing a high save.
Senior Meredith Tutun was highly involved defensively, hunting the ball down on the endline and winning a goal kick in the 17th minute. Another minute, and another senior was getting involved. After some good work by first year Elle Long, Sam Phan picked up the ball in the box and hit her shot barely wide.
In the 21st minute, another debutant, first year Lily Mark, dribbled the ball through the center before spreading it out wide to Brianna Wright, whose shot fizzed over the crossbar. Mark was involved again five minutes later, shooting over from an Isabel Konijnenberg cross.
Hamilton grew into the game, putting together some attacks that were expertly snuffed out by the Ephs' center backs. In the 28th minute, Sophomore Reece Willison cut out a dangerous looking cross. In the 35th, Senior Ava Simunovic pulled off a classy interception on a Hamilton through ball, one of many in a woman-of-the-match performance.
Senior Parker Harnett got involved in the attack from right back a couple of times towards the end of the first half, once cutting inside to get a shot off and once playing a through ball to Phan, who barely lost the foot race to the ball against the Hamilton keeper.
Good defending from Simunovic and first year Abby Collis held back a end-of-half surge from Hamilton, sending the game into the break at 0-0
The teams came out after half time raring to go, and it only took three minutes for Williams to have a good look at goal. A mazy run from Wright down the left flank ended in a shot from the top left corner of the box. Hamilton's keeper, despite pressure from Huang, was able to get the grab.
Wright was involved again as the Ephs had the best chance of the game until that point in the 52nd minute. A Dupies long ball found Wright, who got the ball into the box. After some bouncing around, the ball was collected by Claire Tunney who took on two players and shot inches wide. In the 56th minute, Hamilton had a good chance with their #11 picking the ball up in a good position. She fired wide of Ana Bozzi-Mackay's goal. A series of Williams corners in the early 60s led to plenty of Hamilton nerves, but no goals.
In the 64th minute, Huang threaded a good through ball in to Mark, who dribbled into space but saw her shot down the middle of the goal saved. First year Greta Pew got involved, teaming up with Simunovic to nullify a period of Hamilton pressure down Williams' right flank.
After ten or so minutes of lull, the game blasted into overdrive. In the 78th minute Long's long shot went just over. A minute later she played Mark in, whose shot went wide left. There was a chance every minute for the next five minutes as Huang, Willison, Long, Wright, and Riley Borenstein all had looks, with Huang forcing an amazing save out of the Hamilton goalie. In the 86th minute, Bozzi-Mackay, who had a flawless yet quiet game, caught a Hamilton cross. A minute later, crosses from Buckingham and Tutun were pinballed around the Hamilton box until the sequence ended with an Elle Long shot over the crossbar. While both teams pushed until the final whistle, neither team was able to find the winner and the game ended 0-0.
Speaking after the game, Eph head coach Sarah Raymond said: "The final result is disappointing. We really wanted to start the year with this win and for the senior group who haven't beaten Hamilton. But that's soccer. What we've been working on in practice really showed up today. I was really happy with the way we played, and all of the combinations and movement off the ball. Things are happening in the final third that we weren't doing in previous years already in the first game. The goals will come. The players that were in those positions finish those goals in practice all the time, so there is no question that the goals will come. It was the first game and a big game so there was a little pressure. I thought defensively we looked so good that our keepers didn't have to do too much. We did a lot of rotation, and the freshmen that played did really well and they'll only get better. A lot to like."
Next up for the Ephs is another NESCAC contest on Saturday at 12:30 PM on Cole Field when they will take on the Tufts Jumbos.
