WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - The Williams College men's soccer team opened its 2025 season with a 1-1 draw against Wheaton College in a hard-fought match on Cole Field Tuesday afternoon.
First-year JJ Ruehlemann opened his Ephs' account with a goal less than five minutes in, but the Lyons struck back in the second half to hold the hosts to a tie.
Williams had a number of chances early in the contest, with another Ruehlemann shot striking the post after a quick reaction save from the Wheaton goalkeeper. The Ephs went into the halftime break with the lead, having outshot the visitors, 7-3, and with five corner kicks to none for the Lyons.
The second half started much more evenly, with the Ephs' defense being tested and sophomore goalkeeper Kai Darrell being forced into three saves in the first few minutes. Wheaton broke through in the 67th minute when a header bounced off the crossbar to the far post and was pushed in by the Lyons' Baden McLaughlin.
The Ephs were nearly able to capture a game-winner in the final moments, with nine shots in the last 15 minutes, including two from Lorcan Mitchell and one from Ben Brown that forced Wheaton goalkeeper Michael O'Gara into saves.
"It was a good start for the team against a good opponent today on Cole Field," said head coach Steffen Siebert. "We were able to create many opportunities throughout the full 90 minutes, which is a very good sign this early in the season. Now time to rest up and prepare for our conference opener at Tufts on Saturday."
The match against Tufts will be the first of three straight NESCAC road games for the Ephs, who will also visit Hamilton on Tuesday, Sept. 9, and Amherst on Saturday, Sept. 13.
