Having nearly completed an upset of undefeated Williams just two weeks ago, the Tufts women's soccer team found itself back on Cole Field in Williamstown, Mass. with another chance to knock off the No. 2 team in the country. This time around, a ticket to the NESCAC Tournament finals was on the line. The style of Saturday's game was completely different, but the ending was all too familiar: another Williams victory.
The Ephs scored three goals in the first 25 minutes of the game and withstood a ferocious Tufts comeback attempt before finally icing the game with a fourth goal in the 53rd minute. With the 4-2 victory, Williams advanced to the tournament final, where it went on to defeat Middlebury 3-2.
The Ephs broke through with a goal in the 11th minute when junior midfielder Sara Wild took a shot from just inside the 18-yard box right at Tufts senior goalkeeper Kate Minnehan, who got a touch on the ball but bobbled the save and allowed the ball to get past her into the net.
"Up until the first goal, we were pretty dominant in the game," junior defender Sarah Nolet said. "But their first goal really threw us off, and the momentum shifted. We were struggling to hold on."
"They got sort of lucky on a not very good shot, and they used that momentum to their advantage," sophomore defender Cleo Hirsch said.
The Ephs quickly tacked on two more goals in the next 15 minutes, with Wild scoring on a free kick to make it 3-0 in the 23rd minute.
The Jumbos, who had held Williams scoreless for 85 minutes two weeks prior, had their backs against the wall but responded in fashion. The third goal seemed to spark Tufts, which found the scoreboard just a minute after Williams' tally. Sophomore forward Alix Michael struck a brilliant ball that sailed past Williams senior goalie Lauren Sinnenberg and into the net.
"We got a couple saves from our goalie, and we started to win balls again in the midfield," Nolet said. "Alix's goal really shifted the momentum in our favor again."
Tufts battled Williams evenly for the rest of the half, and it was able to better establish possession in the latter stages of the period, partly due to better play and possibly a lapse in focus on Williams' part.
"We kept pressuring them, and we started playing harder," Hirsch said. "They were winning 3-0, so I don't think they expected us to keep fighting the way we did."
Just three minutes into the second half, the comeback was thrown into overdrive by a Nolet header, cutting the Ephs' lead to one. Down just 3-2 with almost the entire half to play, the Jumbos felt a renewed sense of confidence.
"We were really excited about the potential and opportunity that we had created," Nolet said. "Not a lot of teams are able to score at Williams, especially after being down, so we were excited and definitely thought we could come back."
The goal marked the first time all season that a team had scored twice against the Ephs, who had only given up three goals total going into Saturday's game. The feat did not go unnoticed by the Jumbos.
"I don't think anyone's been able to score two goals against them this season," Hirsch said. "The goals we scored were really nice and legitimate. It was a good feeling, but it didn't last very long."
Five minutes later, Williams scored a back-breaking fourth goal. Ephs junior midfielder Tyler Rainer hooked a beautiful shot to the top left corner of the net, giving her team breathing room and ultimately clinching a spot in the NESCAC finals.
"When they scored the fourth goal, it was tough to come back after that," Hirsch said.
The Jumbos continued to create chances in the second half but had nothing to show for them. Williams turned up the defensive intensity that has led to its spotless 17-0-0 record and NESCAC championship. With the Ephs able to throw more players back on the defensive end, Tufts could not muster any other legitimate chances on net.
"We had some good chances, but they're a great team, and they have a great defense," said Nolet.
While Williams moved on to the championship match with the win, Tufts' season ended with the loss, leaving the Jumbos' final record at 8-7-1 overall.
"We've had some good comebacks over the years," Nolet said. "It's one thing our team does really well. We played like we had nothing to lose and thought ‘there's no tomorrow,' so we just wanted to go out there and give it everything, win or lose."
