MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Back in the NESCAC Tournament for a third straight season, the four-seed Wesleyan field hockey team earned a historic 2-1 win over five-seed Williams in the Quarterfinal round on Saturday afternoon from Hicks Field. Wesleyan (13-3) advances to the NESCAC Semifinals where they travel to Medford to take on the top-seed Tufts next weekend.
 
Saturday's triumph signals the Cardinals' first NESCAC Tournament win since 2005 while Wesleyan also extends its win streak to nine straight games, just one shy of the team record set 1979. Wesleyan also exacted some revenge on the Ephs, who had ended Wesleyan's season in each of the previous two years (NESCAC Quarterfinal in 2023, NCAA Second Round in 2024).
 
Wesleyan had most of the ball throughout the first half, as steady midfield play and strong passing from the back line kept the Ephs at-bay. All that possession paid dividends in the first quarter as Georgia Adams '26 inserted a penalty corner to Emily Smith '29 who dribbled right before sending a pass to Brooke Miner '28 on the left wing. Miner stepped into a sweep that deflected off the stick of Meera Patel '29 and past Ellie Smith in goal to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
 
 Armed with a lead, Wesleyan continued to push forward and had three attempts on-target in the second quarter, including a Patel reverse hit in the waning seconds, but Smith stood tall and made three saves to keep the score 1-0 Wesleyan at halftime.
 
The third quarter saw Audrey Pace '26 called into duty for the first time on the afternoon, making a save on Sienna Alday. That Alday shot was the first shot for the Ephs in the game, as Wesleyan held Williams to 0 attempts at goal in the opening 36+ minutes.
 
A crucial insurance goal came early in the fourth quarter as Adams drew a foul in the circle and on the ensuing penalty corner, the ball swung to Miner again on the left wing. Her sweep found the stick of Marley Procopio '29 in front which deflected the ball right to Adams on the left post who scored for Wesleyan to make it 2-0 with 13:52 left.
 
Patel very nearly made it 3-0 as she received a pass just outside the circle, then dribbled past one defender and lined up a reverse hit which she lifted off the turf with power but Smith made a lunging pad save with her left hand to keep it a two-goal game.
 
The Ephs made it a game late as Anna Miller deflected in a goal at the left post to make it 2-1. On a Williams penalty corner, Pilar Torres sent a ball towards cage that Kiki Higgins deflected to the post where Miller knocked in the goal.
 
Now a 2-1 game with 2:31 remaining, Wesleyan held their nerve down the stretch and kept Williams away from the circle. The Ephs couldn't generate a scoring chance in the final minutes and Wesleyan finished off their first NESCAC Tournament win in 20 years.
 
Patel's goal is her sixth on the year while Adams netted her ninth goal. Miner is now tied with Patel for the team-lead in assists with seven this season and Procopio's assist is her second of the year.
 
Looking ahead to next weekend, the Cardinals take on the #1 seed Tufts in the Semifinal round with a trip to the NESCAC Championship on the line. The Jumbos are the last team as the last team to have beaten the Cardinals, a 4-1 win in Medford back on September 27, as Wesleyan has won nine straight games since that defeat. Tufts are coming in winners of their last 11 straight games.