WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The No. 18 nationally-ranked Wesleyan women's soccer team continued its stellar start to the 2021 season, defeating Little 3 rival Williams, 1-0, from Cole Field on Saturday afternoon. Wesleyan remains unbeaten at 3-0 (2-0 NESCAC) in 2021 while the Ephs drop to 1-2-1 (0-2-1 NESCAC) through four games.
After going nearly 40 years without a win over the Ephs, combined with their 2-1 win over then-No. 1 Williams at home in 2019, suddenly the Cardinals have won two straight over their archrival. This victory also signaled the first Wesleyan win at Williams since 1981 and just the fourth time in 47 all-time meetings that the Cardinals have pitched a clean sheet against the Ephs.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Wesleyan's press gave the Ephs back line trouble in the early going and that pressure paid off as Grace Devanny '23 won the ball off an Eph defender and with the goalkeeper playing off her line, the junior lofted a shot up over Chelsea Taylor's head and into the back of the net, just under the crossbar and inside the opposite post as Wesleyan led 1-0 in the 5th minute
- Kate Hausladen '23 very nearly made it 2-0 Wesleyan as her shot from distance in the 31st minute deflected off a Williams defender and then hit the crossbar before going out of play
- Williams managed just one shot on-target in the first half of play despite trailing for over 40 minutes as the Cardinal defense held strong to take the lead into halftime
- The Ephs came out of the break and gave Wesleyan all they could handle in the opening 15 minutes as Sarah Hammond '22 was forced into making four saves in a four-minute span that included two Eph corner kicks as the pressure ratcheted up, but as the Cardinals have done all throughout the season, their defense held stron
- After that initial rush to open the second half, play settled and Hammond wasn't called into action again until the 82nd minute as she turned aside a shot from Sam Phan and in the final minute, a last-ditch attempt from Emma Lynch went begging as the senior goalkeeper celebrated the massive win with her teammates just seconds after that final save
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Hammond made a season-high seven saves (six in the second half) and earned her second clean sheet (third combined shutout) of the season and the ninth of her career
- Through three matches, Wesleyan has outscored their opponents 10-0
- Devanny, the 2019 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, becomes the ninth Cardinal to score a goal this season, eclipsing the total number of goal scorers for Wesleyan during the entire 2019 campaign
- Wesleyan was outshot 10-8 (7-4 shots on-goal) while Williams doubled the Cardinals' corner kick total (8-4) for the game
- The Cardinals are in uncharted territory as this marks the first time Wesleyan has ever started 2-0 in NESCAC play (league founded in 2000-01 season)
UP NEXT:
Wesleyan is back at home for a pair of games next week, starting with a non-conference match against Coast Guard on Tuesday (6 PM) from Smith Field. Next weekend, the Cardinals play host to Bowdoin on Saturday, Sept. 25 for a 2 PM kickoff from Jackson Field.
