CLINTON, N.Y. - The Williams College field hockey team earned a gutsy 4-3 win over #7 Hamilton on the road on Wednesday night in a back-and-forth game that was ultimately decided in a shootout.
The Ephs had taken a 3-0 lead near the end of the third quarter, but Hamilton battled all the way back and tied the game with just over four minutes left. Both teams had chances in overtime, but neither could break through, and a shootout was necessary to find a winner.
Hamilton then took a 2-0 lead after each team had taken a pair of shots, but the Ephs got shootout goals from Sawyer Rowland and Natalia Nolan and big stops from Ellie Smith in goal to tie it at 2-2 going into each team's fifth shot.
Laura Ryan then had her shot saved, but the Hamilton goalie was judged to have committed a foul in the play, and Williams was awarded a penalty stroke that was converted by Kiki Higgins. Smith then made a diving save on Hamilton's fifth shooter to clinch the win for the Ephs.
"We found a way to get it done - I'm so proud of our team," said Head Coach Alix Barrale after the game. "We played with a lot of grit. Ellie was clutch in the shootout, and Kiki was a scoring machine. It was a great team effort!"
Higgins gave Williams the lead just past five minutes into the game, controlling a long ball from Ryan and touching it past the goalie to find the net.Â
Rowland added to the lead in the second quarter, after a Pilar Torres long ball found Chloe Bush, whose pass was tucked home by the junior for her second goal of the season.
Higgins made it three for the Ephs with her team-leading 10th goal of the season on a penalty stroke near the end of the third quarter. Hamilton immediately started its comeback, scoring just 42 seconds after the penalty, and the Continentals cut the lead down to one 2:37 into the fourth quarter.
After Hamilton tied the game late, the Ephs pushed for the winner in overtime, and had a 2-0 advantage in shots in the first OT. Williams had a 5-4 advantage in shots during an action-packed second OT which also featured seven penalty corners, four for Williams and three for Hamilton, but both goalies held firm.
It was a big win for the Ephs, who move to 7-6 on the season and 5-3 in NESCAC play. The team plays its final two games of the regular season in the next week, first visiting Conn College on Saturday before hosting Middlebury next Tuesday at Williamson Field.
