MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – A hard-fought 60-minute Little Three showdown was ultimately decided in the blink of an eye as McKenna Dwyer netted her first goal of the season with just 5:09 remaining to send No. 7 Williams past the No. 13 Wesleyan on Saturday from Hicks Field. The 1-0 Ephs win sees Wesleyan (7-5, 3-5 NESCAC) lose another one-goal game, as all five of the Cardinals' league losses have been by one goal against a Top 15 ranked team.
The two defenses dominated throughout on a bitterly cold fall afternoon. Haley McAuslin had the first scoring chance on the day, getting her stick on a bouncing ball that
Keira O'Flynn '29 dealt with in the opening few minutes of play.
Emily Smith '29 was denied by Ellie Smith after
Teddy Tolbert '28 carried into the Williams circle towards the end line before centering to
Emily Smith, who made a turn and got good contact on a shot attempt, that was denied by the left foot of Ellie Smith in goal.
O'Flynn came up big again just under one minute into the second quarter as she made a pad save on a deflected shot right in front by Dwyer to keep the game scoreless.
The third quarter saw the Cardinals break the Ephs' press defense, getting the ball on the stick of
Leila Feldman '28 who carried into the circle on the left wing. Feldman lined up a sweep and a shot destined for the right post was turned aside by the padded left leg of Ellie Smith.
O'Flynn came far off her line to make a stop on Claire Colvin with three minutes left in the third after Williams made a strong push upfield in transition.
The fourth quarter saw just two shot attempts (one for each team) in the entire frame, but one of those was the game's only goal. The game-deciding sequence began when Williams intercepted a pass on a Wesleyan penalty corner. The Ephs quickly moved the ball upfield, passing to Dakota Adams in the circle towards the end line. A quick crossing pass made it past several Wesleyan defenders and O'Flynn to the far post where Dwyer was waiting to bury the goal.
Shots favored Williams 10-6 (6-5 in shots on goal) while the Ephs had seven penalty corners compared to two for Wesleyan.
O'Flynn made five saves in goal while Ellie Smith had a five-save shutout for Williams.
Wesleyan is back in action on Tuesday night with a 7 PM tilt against Western New England from Hicks Field.
