AMHERST, MA. – The Wesleyan women's soccer team will advance to their second straight NESCAC Tournament Championship game on Sunday after defeating the Trinity Bantams in Massachusetts Saturday afternoon. The sixth-seeded Cardinals scored a goal midway through the first half to take the lead over the fifth-seeded Bantams and never looked back, securing a 3-0 victory and a spot in the NESCAC Championship game.

Wesleyan (8-4-5) advances to the conference championship game for the 2^nd straight year, and only the second time in their history. They will stay in Amherst, Massachusetts where they will meet the host, the number one seeded Amherst Mammoths on Sunday at 12 PM with the NESCAC title on the line. Trinity's NESCAC Tournament run ends in the semifinals, finishing with a record of 7-4-6 on the year.

Cards are off to the 'ship ??

In a dominant showing, Women's Soccer netted 3 goals in a shutout win over Trinity, advancing to the NESCAC Championship game for the 2nd straight season ??

?? The 3 goals for Wes is a new playoff team record pic.twitter.com/pysPYlQ4gk

— Wesleyan Athletics (@wes_athletics) November 6, 2022

The first scoring chance of the game came less than two and a half minutes in, when the Bantams worked the ball deep in Wesleyan's side of the field. A cross was sent over the top eventually coming to Dot Tilden who sent a low shot at Sarah Hammond '22. Hammond gathered it for her first save of the afternoon.

Wesleyan had a similar scoring chance in the 10^th minute. Some nice passing along the ride side of the field eventually led to a looping cross that found the head of a streaking Audrey Lavey '23 who had her header go wide left and out of bounds.

The Cardinals eventually got on the board in the 23^rd minute. Wesleyan created a free kick near midfield that was taken by Kate Hoglund '24. Hogland put the ball in the box where Grace Devanny '23 controlled it and attempted a shot. The ball deflected to Katie O'Connell '25 who dribbled it to her right before sending in a low cross that found Lavey's head and into the back of the net.

Each team would have a chance to add the second goal of the game in the final 10 minutes of the first half, but neither could capitalize. Trinity had their chance in the 36^th minute when Alyssa Keane threw the ball in and got it right back, launching a shot from the right end line that Hammond had to lay out for and make the save at the far post. Wesleyan's chance to extend the lead came in the 41^st minute. Kate Hausladen '23 was slide tackled in the box, but the ball eventually found Caty Clements '25 who ripped a left-footed shot from inside the box that was handled by Trinity's Mariana Cournoyer.

Wesleyan started out the 2^nd half on the attack again, having two good scoring chances turned away before eventually adding an insurance goal in the 52^nd minute. O'Connell was once again the facilitator for the Cardinals, executing a perfect give-and-go with Devanny to give the Cardinals a two to nothing advantage. Devanny sent O'Connell out wide with her pass before sprinting towards the box where she would receive the long cross, heading it past Cournoyer.

Trinity threatened again in the 68^th minute, but the Wesleyan defense was up to the task. Chloe Odabashian '23 won the footrace between her and the Bantams' Jillian Fisher on a long through ball sent over the top by Sadie Rudolph. Odabashian slid in and knocked in away, preventing a scoring chance for Trinity.

The Cardinals added one more insurance goal in the 71^st minute to put this one away. The Wesleyan offense went on a counterattack following some pressure from the Trinity forwards, quickly sending the ball the other way. Hausladen carried it into Bantams' territory before dishing it off the Lavey in the box for her 2^nd goal of the game. The Cardinals defense held the Bantams without a shot on goal the rest pf the way, punching their ticket to the NESCAC Championship.

Audrey Lavey had her 2^nd two-goal game of the season. Katie O'Connell came through in the biggest game of the season thus far, recording her first two assists on the year. Kate Hausladen added her 2^nd assist of 2022. Sarah Hammond made four saves in her 4^th shutout in five games. Wesleyan is the first team to score three goals on the Bantams this year. The Cardinals outshot the Bantams 15-10 (8-4 SOG).

Wesleyan moves on to the NESCAC Championship for the second time in as many years where they will face off against number one seeded Amherst. The two teams will clash for the 2^nd time this season at 12 PM Sunday, with the Mammoths taking the first matchup 3-0 back on October 8^th.