WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Senior captain
Kiki Higgins of the No. 15-ranked Williams College field hockey team scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season Friday afternoon on senior day during a 2-1 setback against No. 2 Johns Hopkins at Williamson Field.
"What a battle," said head coach
Alix Barrale. "I thought we played really well against the No. 2 team in the nation. We had lots of chances offensively and will continue to fight for a win."
The Ephs celebrated their senior class, which includes Higgins, captain
Pilar Torres,
Chloe Bush,
Natalia Nolan,
Anna Miller and
Grace Rebak. Williams (6-6, 4-3 NESCAC) and Johns Hopkins (13-1, 6-0 Centennial Conference) met for the first time since the programs crossed paths during the semifinals of the 2022 NCAA Division III Tournament, which was a 1-0 victory for the Blue Jays.
Megan Chang opened the scoring for the visitors during the 19th minute, as she stole the ball, dribbled into the left side of the circle and buried a backhanded shot into the bottom right corner of the net. The Blue Jays created some breathing room in the 36th minute, as Deedee Golla tipped a shot into the goal off a pass by Caeli Robinson on a penalty corner by Sophia Albano.
The Ephs kept competing and trimmed the deficit to 2-1 with 5:03 remaining in the third quarter. Higgins inserted a penalty corner to Torres, who ripped a shot on goal with a screen by Higgins. Blue Jays goalkeeper Aubrey Kilgore turned away the attempt, but Higgins put the rebound into the back of the net from close range.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Ellie Smith made seven saves for the hosts, while Kilgore turned aside 10 shots in 45 minutes and Jessica Lapidus made two saves in 15 minutes for the visitors. The Ephs held a 24-15 advantage in shots and a 13-9 lead in shots on goal. Williams took seven penalty corners and Johns Hopkins attempted six. Higgins led all student-athletes with nine shots and six shots on goal.
The Ephs will be back in action against No. 9 Hamilton on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. in Clinton, New York.
