WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The storybook 2023 season for Wesleyan field hockey came to an end on Saturday afternoon as the five-seed Cardinals were defeated by the four-seed Williams, 3-2, in overtime in the NESCAC Quarterfinals. Wesleyan closes out their season with a 9-7 record while the Ephs (10-6) move on to the semifinal round.
 
An incredible effort was turned in by Cardinal goalkeeper Audrey Pace '26, who set a NESCAC Tournament record and career-high with 23 saves. Having just earned NFHCA National Defensive Player of the Week for all of Division III, Pace was on her A game, recording 17 saves in the second half and overtime period combined. She closes out the season with 121 saves (7.6 per game) – fourth-highest single-season total in team history – and a .786 save percentage.
 
Playing in their first postseason game since the 2013 season, Wesleyan was the better side in the early going and took advantage of a key opportunity late in the half to take a lead into halftime. With the clock winding down under 10 seconds to play, the Cardinals drew a penalty corner and cashed in as Imani Ochieng '25 ripped a shot that went inside the left post, scoring her first goal of the season.
 
The Ephs came out on a mission to start the second half, leveling the game on a Molly Hellman goal. Williams then took the lead with 30 seconds left in the stanza, as Meaghan Boehm tapped in an initial shot from Pilar Torres to make it 2-1 in favor of the Ephs.
 
Refusing to quit, in the face of heavy pressure in their own defensive end, the Cardinals capitalized on a rare opportunity with 6:33 left in the fourth quarter. Georgia Adams '26 did what she's done all season, score in big spots as the sophomore leveled from a tight angle, scoring her 16^th goal of the season to send the game into overtime.
 
Williams dominated the overtime, drawing three corners and recording seven shots before finding the game-winner on the third corner of the extra session. Torres took the insert and delivered a powerful strike that went into the bottom right corner to send the Ephs into the semifinals.
 
An incredible display saw Wesleyan force overtime in a game where Williams outshot the Cardinals 38-6 and 26-2 in shots on-goal. In the second half and overtime frames, Williams managed 31 shots compared to four for Wesleyan while the Ephs amassed a 14-3 advantage in penalty corners.
 
Adams' 16 goals this season represent the second-most for any Cardinal in a single-season in team history.