NORTHFIELD, Minn. - The Williams College men's soccer team advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second straight season, but had its season come to a close on Saturday afternoon after a 2-1 loss to hosts and #4 ranked St. Olaf College.
The Ephs were trailing 2-0 at halftime and pulled a goal back with 20 minutes to go, but could not find an equalizer to force overtime. Williams finishes its season at 10-5-4 after another strong season with highlights throughout the fall.
"Incredible game of soccer today and couldn't be more proud of the team for all the effort," said Head Coach Steffen Siebert. "Fantastic to see how many chances we were able to create but sometimes the ball just does not want to go in."
St. Olaf came into the match ranked #4 in the country with a record of 18-2-3, and playing on its home field for the second straight weekend in NCAA play. The Oles then got a great start, finishing from close range after just 5:57 to take the lead. They then extended their lead in the 28th minute, and went into the half with a comfortable lead.
The Ephs were able to reverse the momentum in the second half, however. After being out-shot 10-6 in the first, it was all Williams in the second, and the team broke through in the 69th minute when senior Evan Vasquez tapped in from close range after a header from Jake Farmer. Leon Ma also earned an assist on the goal, which was Vasquez' third of the season and fourth of his career.
Williams piled on the pressure in the final minutes, with shots from Griffin Labonski, Alex Bethencourt, and JJ Ruehlemann, but the Ephs could not find a way through the St. Olaf defense, and the game ended with a 2-1 score.
The match was the final in the career for a group of six seniors: Vasquez, Cole Morriello, Mohammed Keussom, and captains David Armini, Sam Gibson, and Henry Kirkman. The senior class made the NCAA Championship game in their first year, and qualified for the Sweet 16 in each of the last two seasons.
"I want to take a moment and say a massive thank you to our seniors Sam, Henry, David, Mo, Evan and Cole for all they have done for this program on and off the field over the last 4 years," said Siebert. "Excited to follow their journey over the next 40 years."
The Ephs close their season having made another impressive run through the NCAA tournament, despite having injuries accumulate late in the year, and look back on an excellent season that included a road win over Tufts in early September, a fourth-place regular season finish in the NESCAC standings, and an excellent 2-1 win last week at previously undefeated Scranton, among other highlights.
