Williams Tops Connecticut College in Field Hockey First Round
Courtesy Williams Sports Information
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Players and spectators alike could not have asked for a better afternoon of field hockey. In first-round NESCAC Tournament action and with the sun making a rare appearance over Renzie Lamb Field, third-seeded Williams and sixth-seeded Connecticut College traded goals in a back-and-forth contest that saw multiple lead changes and momentum swings. When the final whistle blew, the Ephs would find themselves on top by a score of 5-3, led by the hot stick of junior Cathleen Clark who put together a three-goal hat-trick on the day. Williams will head to Maine for a re-match with Middlebury College in the NESCAC semifinals next weekend.
“It was a great game to be a part of,” commented Connecticut head coach Debbie Lavigne, in her fifth season at the helm. “It was exciting and the intensity on both sides was great. My team really left it all out on the field today, and I’m proud of the way we played despite the outcome.”
Williams (12-3, 7-2 NESCAC) entered today’s contest riding a three-game win streak, following a 4-2 win over archrival Amherst College yesterday. After over twenty minutes of scoreless play, Clark put the home team on the board first at the 9:33 mark off an assist from fellow junior Rebecca Allen. Minutes later, Connecticut first-year Gretchen Mayer tied it up on a deflection goal following a scramble in front of the Williams net. The score would remain 1-1 at the half.
“Truthfully, on the left wing you can get set up really well from the right side of our offense,” said Clark. “Rebecca made some great passes that were really easy to knock in."
The Camels (8-7, 4-6) were first to call in the second half, this time getting a goal from junior Liz Lingo at the 24:45 mark on a penalty corner opportunity, giving them the lead for the first time. It was short-lived, however, as sophomore Cary Bearn continued her weekend offensive assault (scoring two crucial goals in the Amherst win) moments later, tying the game once again on an unassisted penalty corner goal. It was senior Jessica Graham, hobbled by an injured knee for much of the year, who regained the lead for the Ephs with her second goal of the season at the 19:08 mark.
“I’m feeling better and better about being out there,” said Graham, about being back on the field after her time off. “I was a little nervous in the beginning of the game today, but some of our younger players really stepped it up once again and continued to make the big plays that they’ve been making in these big games.”
With Williams up 3-2, both teams traded attacks until Connecticut once again knotted up the score on a Katie Williams goal. Clark was able to poke another past the Camel’s senior goaltender Ashley Kenerson with 9:48 remaining off a feed from sophomore Charlotte VanWagenen, to give the home team the lead for the last time. Clark would finish the day with 6:28 left in the game, assisted by first-year Meighan McGowan. Clark now has seven goals on the season.
"The first round of the NESCAC is the game I always am the most nervous about, because both teams are playing to keep their seasons going," continued Clark. "I’m glad we were able to get by it, and am looking forward to getting another shot at Middlebury.”
Williams net-minder, junior Emily Wasserman, finished the game with three saves, while her Camel counter-part compiled 15 on the day. Wasserman has a 1.82 goals against average and a .768 save percentage. Williams out-shot Connecticut 20-12, and lost the penalty corner battle 4-1.
“After winning by so much earlier in the season and seeing them [Connecticut] improve tremendously over the last few weeks, I knew we would be in for a tough game today,” said Williams head coach Alix Rorke. “Coming off a hard loss to Tufts they had that nothing-to-lose attitude. I think this was the toughest defense we’ve played against all year. All of our goals were very difficult to come by. On top of that, we weren’t making the best decisions with the ball offensively and not able to stop the big plays on our own end.”
With the win, Williams ensures themselves the chance of redeeming a 3-2 OT loss to Middlebury that went to sudden-death penalty strokes earlier this season. The second-seeded Panthers (13-2, 8-1) have won eight straight, and defeated Bates 3-0 today to move on to face the Ephs in the semifinal round of the NESCAC Tournament.
“The key to beating Middlebury for us is having our young players continue to step up and play like they know that our season is on the line,” added Rorke. “We also need to clean up our defense, and continue the offensive pressure. I’m really glad we have the opportunity to play them again, and am looking forward to the challenge.”
