CLINTON, N.Y. - Franny Donohue scored six goals and the Williams Ephs used a big third quarter to earn an 11-9 win over the Hamilton Continentals in upstate New York on Wednesday evening.
After Hamilton went up 7-6 just over five minutes into the second half, the Ephs rattled off three straight goals from Donohue, Reece Willison, and Paige Nelson, taking a lead they would maintain through the end of the game.
Donohue led all scorers with six goals, Willison was second on the team with three, and Nelson and CeCe Upton scored the last two for the Ephs. Strong defense kept the team in the game through the first half and put it away in the second, and Charlotte Cote continued her strong play in goal, making 11 saves, including many big stops in the second half.
The Ephs now head into a run of league games against strong, highly-ranked opponents, but with momentum and a 5-2 NESCAC record.
Willison opened the game's scoring, putting Williams ahead 1-0 on an unassisted goal just 1:23 into the contest, but Hamilton pulled the goal back within a minute, and then the Ephs had to play from behind for the majority of the first half after Hamilton scored to go up 2-1 with 10:26 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Ephs kept it close throughout the first, with Donohue tying the game at two at 9:37 before Hamilton scored two more to go up 4-2. CeCe Upton scored in a player-up situation with 1:55 left off an assist from Sydney Puntus and it was 4-3 after one quarter.
The teams traded goals again in the second quarter, with Donohue scoring twice, each one following a Hamilton goal, and the second off an assist from Mia Kincade. Neither team could find the net in the final 8:56 of the half, and it was 6-5 for the Continentals at the break.
Donohue scored the first goal of the third quarter before Hamilton scored to regain its lead, and then the Ephs' three straight goals put the momentum in favor of Williams. The visitors almost extended the lead at the very end of the quarter, but an apparent goal was called back and instead given as a two-minute dangerous follow-through penalty that could have swung the game back toward Hamilton. But the Ephs opened up the fourth quarter effectively killing off the penalty, and then Williams ended up scoring the first goal of the final session, when Willison rounded the net for a great solo goal to put the visitors up 10-7.
Hamilton kept attempting a comeback in the fourth quarter and got within two goals twice, but Donohue's final goal with 4:20 left kept the hosts from finding their way back into the game.
The win moves the Ephs to 9-3 overall and 5-2 in the NESCAC, ahead of a rivalry game at home against Amherst College at 1pm this Saturday on Farley-Lamb Field.
