LEWISTON, Maine – The No.4 Ephs men's soccer team continues their unbeaten start to the season with a 1-0 road victory over No.13 Bates College on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Ephs improve to 6-0-3 overall and 5-0-2 in NESCAC play, while the Bobcats fall to 6-2-1 (2-2-1 NESCAC).
"Always a fun Saturday when two nationally ranked teams meet," said Head Coach
Steffen Siebert. "I thought both teams showed up on the day which made for a great game. Proud of the team for keeping another shutout and finding a way to win. Quick turnaround now as we play our next game tomorrow."
After an evenly matched first half, Williams broke through midway through the second period. In the 71
st minute, sophomore
Andrew Coelho lofted a high pass into the box that sailed over the goalkeepers' reach, taking a high bounce of the turf. First year
JJ Ruehlemann was quick to react and able to finish the play for his fourth goal of the season and the eventual game-winner.
Earlier in the second half, the Ephs had an opportunity to open the scoring from the penalty spot, but sophomore
Lorcan Mitchell's attempt was saved by Bates goalkeeper George Nassar.
Defensively, Williams was in control throughout the match, limiting Bates to just two shots on goal despite a 15-14 overall shot advantage for the Bobcats. First year goalkeeper
Aleix Anglada earned his fourth shutout of the season with one save this afternoon.
Ruehlemann led the Ephs offensively with four total shots, including three on goal, followed by Mitchell who added three shots, all on goal. Williams recorded five of its seven shots on net in the second half.
The Ephs will conclude their two-game weekend on Sunday with a non-conference matchup at Husson University. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.
