MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Locked in a tight back-and-forth battle between Little Three foes, the No. 12 ranked Wesleyan field hockey team couldn't overcome a two-goal deficit as the Cardinals fell to Williams, 2-1, on Saturday afternoon from Hicks Field. The Cardinals (8-4, 3-4 NESCAC) lose by a 2-1 score for the third time to a ranked NESCAC foe this season while the Ephs (10-0, 7-0 NESCAC) remain undefeated in 2024.
 
Audrey Pace '26 was tested early and the junior All-American was up to the task, posting two saves in the first four minutes of play before adding three more in the final 1:05 of the first quarter as she kept her team in the game. The Ephs recorded all eight shots attempted in the opening quarter and had five penalty corner opportunities, all ending without a goal.
 
Midway through the second quarter, the Ephs found the breakthrough as Meaghan Boehm's shot from in close deflected off the post right to Madeline Rowland who knocked in her third goal of the year with 6:53 left before halftime.
 
The Cardinals responded with four second quarter penalty corners following the Rowland goal, with the best chance coming on a pass from Kenzie Kelly '25 that skidded off the turf to the far post that just missed the stick of Ava Galdenzi '24.
 
Williams scored again just 1:38 into the third quarter as Anna Miller fed Kiki Higgins with a pass from just inside the circle and her back to goal. Higgins possessed, shielding off a Cardinal defender before sliding a shot past Pace who came off her line.
 
The Ephs kept hold of their two-goal lead until the fourth quarter when Wesleyan drew a penalty stroke off what was their sixth penalty corner of the game. Imani Ochieng '25 took a shot from in close that would have landed in the back of the cage, if not for an Eph defender's leg getting in the way. Stepping to the spot was Brooke Miner '28 who calmly slipped her shot past Ellie Smith to cut the deficit in half with 9:44 remaining.
 
Minutes after Pace denied Rowland to keep the score at 2-1, Annabel Cincotta '25 had a strong shot attempt from in close that required Smith to extend her right leg and deny a would-be game-tying goal with just over three minutes left.
 
Pace made two mores saves with 2:30 left, both on shot attempts from Rowland, and she was later pulled for an extra field player with 2:23 remaining, but to no avail as Williams limited chances down the stretch to nab the win.
 
Shots favored the Ephs 16-6 for the contest but it was only 8-6 in favor of Williams over the final three quarter. Williams generated a 7-6 edge in penalty corners, but Wesleyan drew six compared to two for the Ephs after the first quarter.
 
Pace was fantastic in cage, making nine saves to keep the Cardinals in the game throughout.
 
The Cardinals look to rebound next Saturday with a trip to Bowdoin on deck.