Williams Women Move on in D3

Ephs Return to Sweet 16

Novemeber 17, 2008

One win down, four to go.

The Williams (17-0-1) women’s soccer team took its first step toward its ultimate goal of winning an NCAA Division III national championship, dealing the visiting Husson Lady Braves (16-5-1) a 3-0 loss to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year.

The two teams battled windy, cold conditions and bouts of sleet on Cole Field, but the Ephs used a 26-6 advantage in shots and a 9-4 advantage in corner kicks to power past Husson.

The Ephs struggled to find offensive fluidity early in the first half, but began to piece together smart offensive sequences as the game progressed. Williams’s aggressive attack finally paid dividends with 2:55 to play in the first period, as Sarah Walmsley and Bret Eisenhart teamed up for the team’s first score. Walmsley crossed a long ball to the far left post, where Eisenhart collected and easily laced the ball into the net for the lead.

“Husson is a great team, and is very organized,” said Williams head coach Michelyne Pinard. “But we had a hard time getting any rhythm and the wind played a factor, as well. We were glad to get on the board when we did.”

The Braves’ best opportunity to score came early in the second half, when Shelby Bradford unleashed a shot on goal from well outside the penalty box. Ephs keeper Lauren Sinnenberg timed her leap well and made the save.

Fatigue, and well-placed pressure by Williams, began to set in for Husson.

“Williams is tactically and technically a better team on the field than we are,” said Husson head coach Keith Bosley. “We have to commit more energy, which is hard to sustain, and the early goal deflated us a bit.”

Williams continued to build its lead on two unassisted goals that displayed the power and shooting ability of the squad. Brianna Wolfson notched goal number two at 63:16 with a hard shot to the upper left corner.

Ten minutes later, at 73:21, Sara Wild fired a free kick into the net for the 3-0 margin of victory.

Williams’s bid for an NCAA championship fell short in the round of 16 last season, and the Ephs will look to erase those bitter memories this weekend against the College of New Jersey.

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