WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — After winning its NESCAC-leading ninth conference championship Sunday afternoon on Cole Field, the No. 8-ranked Williams College women's soccer team earned the automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division III Tournament and will compete against Penn State Harrisburg during first-round action Saturday at 11 a.m. on the campus of William Smith in Geneva, New York.
Since 2007, the Ephs (14-2-1, 8-1-1 NESCAC) have qualified for 17-of-19 possible NCAA Tournaments, won eight NESCAC titles, reached at least the Elite Eight in six consecutive seasons from 2014-19 and won national championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
The 2026 Ephs earned the top seed in the NESCAC Tournament for the first time since 2018 and defeated four ranked opponents. Williams outlasted No. 23 and fifth-seeded Middlebury, 2-0, during the NESCAC Semifinals Saturday on Cole Field.
During a 2-1 victory in the championship game over No. 3 and second-seeded Tufts Sunday in Williamstown, junior forward
Elizabeth Stophel scored in the 34th minute. First-year defender
Lyyli Stern scored her first collegiate goal, which stood up as the game-winning tally, in the 70th minute. The Ephs won the last two NESCAC Player of the Week awards, with sophomore forward
Chloe Lee and junior goalkeeper
Chelsea Mohammed earning the honors on Nov. 2 and 9, respectively.
Williams has been led offensively by senior captain
Bria Abbiati (6 goals, 5 assists, 17 points), sophomore forward and midfielder
Maya Lloyd (6-4-16) and first-year forward and midfielder
Alli Aleman (4-3-11). Mohammed has compiled seven individual shutouts and four combined ones, as the Sicklerville, New Jersey, native has compiled a remarkable 14-1-1 mark on the season. She leads the NESCAC in save percentage (.894), goals-against average (0.33) and individual shutouts (7).
Penn State Harrisburg (11-5-2, 7-0-1 United East) has been led by Abigail Mahaffey (11-4-26), Olivia Sgrignioli (12-1-25) and Julia Hughes (8-5-21).
The other first-round matchup Saturday will feature host and No. 11 William Smith (14-4-0, 9-0-0 Liberty League) and Cortland (13-3-3, 7-0-1 SUNYAC) at 1:30 p.m. The winners will meet in second-round action Sunday at 1 p.m. on Cozzens Field.
William Smith has been powered by Grace Metzler (7-5-19) and Kristin Middaugh (8-2-18). Gianna Cirilla (17-4-38) and Tyla Vuotto (12-7-31) have led the charge for Cortland.
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