Ephs battle through wind and snow, advance to Elite 8 over TCNJ, 2-1Williams Sports Info
08:51AM / Monday, November 24, 2008
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The mantra "practice makes perfect" proved less than accurate today, as neither Williams (18-0-1) nor The College of New Jersey (14- 7-1) could possibly have prepared for the pesky weather conditions in this afternoon’s NCAA third-round contest.
Slick field conditions made possession difficult from the get-go, while flurries late in the first half developed to a full-blown snowfall and a relentless wind for the remainder of play. The Ephs handled the unpredictable elements well, advancing to the Elite 8 upon defeating the Lions in a come from behind victory, 2-1.
“We have always talked about not paying attention to the things you can’t control,” said Williams’ head coach Michelyne Pinard. “Things were hard to do under the circumstances, but I was proud that we still executed even under the tough weather conditions.”
The win marks the eighteenth of the season for Williams, surpassing last year’s program record of seventeen wins. The squad advanced to today's game after being awarded a first round bye in the tournament, and defeating Husson College, 3-0, in the second round last weekend. Williams is now in the fourth round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1999.
TCNJ dominated on their journey to the Sweet 16, dealing Morovian College and Western Connecticut shutouts in the first and second rounds. Their team of now is a far cry from earlier this season, as the Lions have lost eight starters to injury.
"I'm s o proud of these kids it's not even funny," said TCNJ coach Joe Russo. "We've had a slew of injuries. I give all the credit to Williams; I thought they played well. We played Amherst at full strength early on, the score was 5-1. And then we just lost a bunch of people. We're a shell of what we should be, but I don't want that to be the focus. To get this far without eight starters, I'm ecstatic. The kids who have stepped on have done very, very well."
The Ephs have achieved some peace of mind as well, advancing past the Sweet 16 roadblock of last year that saw Hamilton defeat the Ephs on Cole Field, 2-1, ending their bid for a national championship and an undefeated season.
“This team has been hungry all year, but particularly for this day,” continued Pinard. “To go beyond what we accomplished last year means a great deal to our seniors and our program.”
“It was a big motivator for us,” said Ephs forward Sarah Walmsley, referencing last season’s early exit. “It is one of those games we wish we had back, and the feelings of last year fueled our play today.”
Neither team scored in the first half, although both teams had ample chances to take the lead.
Just two minutes into play, the Lions’ Jamie Kunkel let off a shot after a corner kick that just nicked the left crossbar. The Ephs were slightly off their game in the opening minutes, but found their stride soon enough. Ten minutes later, on the opposite end of the field, Gabrielle Woodson’s shot took the same course as Kunkel’s, finding the far left post.
Williams was presented with a golden opportunity, after TCNJ fouled an Eph inside the penalty box midway into the first half. Pinard chose defensive back, Lizzie Danhakl, to take the kick. Danhakl placed the ball well, but TCNJ’s goalkeeper Jessica Clarke read the ball's path, and made a tremendous save to keep the score even.
“Lizzie is our best PK kicker day in and day out in practice,” said Pinard. “I did not hesitate in making that decision, it was a no-brainier. Their goalkeeper is phenomenal though. I was really pleased that it did not shake us. Ten minutes later I had forgotten about it, and so did the rest of the team.”
The Ephs pressed on in the first half, shrugging off their missed opportunity. Although both teams played a solid first frame, Williams controlled the ball for most of the latter period of the half, out shooting the Lions, 12-6.
TCNJ picked up their play heading out of half time, while Williams stumbled out of the gate in the early minutes. The Ephs were forced to play from behind for only the sixth time this season after Kunkel scored just five minutes into the second half.
After a defensive misstep, the Ephs had to play catch up and retreat downfield to defend a Lions charge towards goal. Coleen Weber collected the ball, dribbled past the midline undefended, and fed Kunkel a lob pass outside the goal box. A rushed Ephs defense saw Kunkel rip a ball to the top left corner, out of reach for the Ephs keeper, Lauren Sinnenberg.
What do you tell the number one-ranked Division III team in the nation after falling behind?
“I don’t tell them anything,” said Pinard. “We believe in our system. TCNJ is a second half team, and they showed us that today. They played more directly, and going against the wind was tough for us.”
Believe in their system they did as the Ephs did not falter, but instead rose to the occasion. At 63:40, Woodson played a cross that was recovered by Walmsley in the penalty box. She did not immediately act on her open look, and Walmsley took ample time before taking the shot that sailed into net to tie the score, 1-1.
“I wanted to get a good shot off and place it,” commented Walmsley. “There are not a lot of chances out there, and I had to stay composed, because it was easy to slip out there.”
Woodson and Walmsley teamed up again at the 78:44 mark, reversing roles this time. Walmsley played the cross while Woodson waited on the wide open far post to recover and score on the empty net for the 2-1 advantage. The two late goals provided an energy boost to the squad, and the Ephs held on for the victory.
Clarke finished the game with seven saves, while Sinnenberg recorded four on the afternoon. |
