Woodson's four goals lead Ephs past Union, 4-1
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Union’s Allison Cuozzo, who leads the team with 5 goals and an assist, tallied her sixth goal of the season in the early going. At the 3:39 mark, Cuozzo created space between herself and the defender, and then booted a hard shot from just outside the goal box. With little time to react, Ephs keeper Lauren Sinnenberg could only watch as the ball whizzed past her into the net.
The answer to a come-back came in the form of Woodson and junior teammate Brianna Wolfson. Woodson scored the next four goals, while Wolfson assisted on the first three. The two are a defense's nightmare, with Woodson having tallied 7 goals and 5 assists this season, and Wolfson following with 4 goals and 7 assists.
“They [Wolfson and Woodson] are really dynamic,” said Williams’ head coach Michelyne Pinard. “They have fun creating offensive chances, and they have played together so much that they always seem to know where the other one is. It’s fun to watch.”
The show began at the 8:16 mark, when Wolfson laced a pass between two defenders to Woodson right in front of the goal. Woodson collected the pass, and managed to tap the ball to net before the diving Union goalie could block the ball at her feet. Ten minutes later, the second goal came about in an identical fashion to the first. The Ephs headed out of the first half leading 2-1.
Union challenged the Ephs in the first half, but Williams’ depth shined through in the latter half of play. While the Dutchwomen failed to replicate their intensity from the first forty-five minutes in the second period, the Ephs kept pushing forward.
“Our depth really helps us,” said Pinard. “We are twenty-three strong, and it allows us to go for ninety minutes every single game.”
Williams seem to deflate the opposition, when only one minute into the second half Woodson scored once more for a 3-1 margin. Then, her fourth goal came at the 64:40 mark, this time assisted by Bret Eisenhart. Eisenhart placed a perfect pass to Woodson on the wing, and Woodson laced the ball to the far right post for the 4-1 lead.
Kara Duggan joined Woodson’s efforts, scoring her first collegiate goal as a sophomore. Duggan, a defensive back, rarely gets looks on goal but played up at net following a called foul against Union. Sara Wild took the free kick from the middle of Union’s half of the field, and amidst the scramble at net, Duggan put the ball in.
Lauren Garcia nearly scored a sixth goal for Williams, as she unloaded a shot from eighteen feet out that was impossible to reach by the Union keeper. As the ball sailed under the crossbar and into the net, the referee blew his whistle for obstruction and called a no-goal.
Williams, ranked #1 in the latest national polls, will have a five-day break before beginning Little Three competition on Saturday. The Ephs will host Wesleyan at 12:00 p.m. on Cole Field.
