Medford, MA – The Williams College Ephs (3-5, 1-3 NESCAC) were in Medford today at Bello Field to play against the #1 Tufts University Jumbos (8-0, 4-0). It was a hard day for Williams. The Jumbos made the most of their opportunities, withTufts winning this one by a score of 15-4.
The start of this one was a battle, but Williams got their short sticks on the field for the first time to start generating some offense at the 10-minute mark. Ryan Nagel and
Jesse Shapiro had two great, back-to-back, shots that were denied by the Tufts goalie. Despite dropping a few goals, the Williams defense continued to stand strong. Goaltender
Matt Wetmore coming up with some huge saves to keep this game within reach. With time ticking down in the quarter, Williams was down by a score of 5-0 and looking to start turning things around.
Williams continued to bring the physicality level up to start the second quarter. Tufts' offense started to see their production slow down significantly.
Wyatt Cotton and
Aidan Housenbold were both helping in the back and bringing the ball up the field to help the Ephs try to penetrate the Jumbos' cage. The 8- and 7-minute mark saw Wetmore come up with two huge, point blank, saves for the Ephs. The Ephs scored their first goal off the stick of
Will Doran. The junior danced behind the net, stepped out, and drove it past the Tuft's goalie. A few minutes later, with almost the exact same route, but this time over the back, Doran got his 2
nd of the day.
The third quarter was quiet for both sides in the opening minutes. The Ephs felt like they were starting to get more comfortable in the offensive zone. The defense also continued to battle through pressure.
Brody Page came up with a couple great ground balls that turned into offensive pressure for Williams. With a solid effort right after the man-advantage opportunity,
Jesse Shapiro gave the Ephs their 3
rd goal of the day. Into the fourth quarter the Ephs were still trailing. The Johnson brothers connected for the 4
th Williams goal this evening at the 12-minute mark in the 4
th.
Eph head coach
George McCormack stated, "We had a slow start offensively and never truly got into a groove. On the bright side our defense really stiffened up in the 2nd half creating a lot of turnovers. We will get back to work and use these opportunities to learn and grow."
