WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — After defeating three top-six ranked opponents and going 6-4 in the competitive NESCAC, the No. 8-ranked Williams College field hockey team garnered the fourth seed in the conference tournament, as the Ephs will welcome sixth-ranked and fifth-seeded Hamilton to Williamson Field for a quarterfinal-round playoff game Saturday at 11 a.m.
This is the first-time ever that the Ephs (10-5, 6-4 NESCAC) and Continentals (11-4, 6-4 NESCAC) meet in the NESCAC Tournament. Williams has won seven consecutive games against Hamilton dating back to 2019. First-year
Kayla Bohlin delivered in the clutch during the regular-season encounter, burying her first collegiate game-winner in the fourth quarter during a 1-0 triumph against then-No. 5 Hamilton on Oct. 20 at Williamson Field.
The 2023 Ephs made it to the NESCAC Final and earned runner-up honors. From 2000-05, Williams reached the conference championship game in six consecutive seasons, including winning the tournament in 2001, 2002 and 2004, under 27th-year head coach
Alix Barrale's '93 leadership.
Williams has qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament in the last four seasons and hosted at least one game on the national stage in each of those years. The 2022 unit reached the program's first-ever Final Four, and then the team accomplished the feat again during the 2024 season.
During the 2026 regular season, Williams began its journey with back-to-back 2-0 wins over then-No. 5 Bates and No. 6 Babson on Sept. 6 and 10, respectively, at Williamson Field. Senior forward
Haley McAuslin netted the game-winning goal against the 2025 NESCAC champion Bobcats, and then first-year defender
Hannah Herlihy scored twice, including her first collegiate goal, during the victory over the Beavers.
Junior midfielder
McKenna Dwyer provided the heroics with the game-winning tally in the fourth quarter during a 1-0 win at then-13th-ranked Wesleyan on Oct. 17 in Middletown, Connecticut.
The Ephs have been led this season by McAuslin (5 goals, 5 assists), Herlihy (4 goals, 4 assists), senior
Madeline Rowland (6 goals) and senior
Claire Colvin (3 goals, 5 assists). Junior goalkeeper
Ellie Smith has recorded five individual shutouts, to go along with a 0.83 goals-against average.
Isabelle Nahon has led the way with eight goals, eight assists and 24 points for the Continentals in 2026. Hamilton defeated then-No. 10 Bates, 2-1, in double overtime, No. 13Â Wesleyan, 2-1, in overtime and No. 15 Amherst, 1-0, during the regular season.
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