Box Score
WILLIAMSTOWN – Playing in the snow in the NESCAC quarterfinals, the Williams College men's soccer team scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to come back from a 1-0 deficit and defeat Tufts 2-1.
The Ephs had controlled the majority of the play, outshooting Tufts 30-10 overall on the match, but faced a huge challenge breaking through a stellar Jumbo defense led by senior goalkeeper Alan Bernstein (Wayne, NJ).
Williams created a string of exceptional opportunities early in the match, including three one-on-one's for sophomore User Kushaina against Bernstein. However, Kushaina put each of his opportunities wide, and Bernstein also made several excellent saves on other chances for the Ephs.
Williams' best opportunity came off a shot from junior Patrick Ebobisse from the top right of the box. Bernstein made a save going to his right, and sophomore Dan Lima was there to get a foot on the rebound. Bernstein deflected Lima's shot, but the ball made its way toward the net and nearly crossed the line after hitting the post. However, two Tufts defenders were there to clear the ball off the line, keeping the teams tied 0-0.
Tufts, unfazed by Williams' attack, broke the deadlock in the 26th minute. Freshman Kento Nakamura (Tokyo, Japan) hit a corner kick from the left side to the near post. The ball deflected off of an Eph head to the backside of the six, where junior John Lewis (East Greenwich, RI) was waiting for the Jumbos. He headed the ball back across to freshman center-back Peter Lee Kramer (Princeton, NJ), who hit a towering header into the back of the net past stranded Williams junior keeper Than Finan. It was the first goal Finan had allowed in five games.
Following Tufts' goal, the game became more balanced, with equal bouts of possession going both ways, and Tufts entered the break with the 1-0 lead.
The Ephs renewed their pressure at the start of the second half, creating a string of opportunities in the early going. The best chance of the opening minutes of the half came in the 50th minute off of a corner kick from Ebobisse. Lima made a darting run through the box and headed the ball powerfully toward Bernstein's net from the center of the six-yard box. Bernstein, on his line, made an incredible reflex save, flying into the top right of the goal and tipping the ball over the bar to preserve the Jumbos' lead.
As the half progressed, Williams continued to generate pressure, threatening the Jumbo net regularly. In the 81st minute, the Ephs finally managed to sneak one past the Tufts Keeper. Senior Phil Vestergaard took a low-driven free kick from just inside midfield on the right flank. Vestergaard's ball found Kushaina with his back to goal at the top right of the box, and Kushaina touched the ball behind himself to his left with his right foot, taking him deeper into the right side of the box. He then turned, took a touch, and fired a spinning bullet of a shot toward the near post. The ball snuck under Bernstein and into the net, knotting the game at 1-1.
Williams did not have to wait long to score again. In the 82nd minute, junior Peter Christman earned a corner kick off of a blocked shot. Christman took the corner from the left side, curling it deep to the back post. Bernstein came off of his line, but could only get a hand on the ball, and it fell inside the six. Junior Doug Weinrib, a typical starter for the Ephs forced to the bench with an injury who entered the game when the Ephs were searching for a goal, was in the right place at the right time. He darted into the six and knocked the ball into the net for the game's decisive goal.
Tufts looked as though is might push the game to overtime in the 84th minute, when freshman Maxime Hoppenot (Princeton, NJ) was in clean on Finan, who came off his line and made himself big, allowing him to stop Hoppenot's shot and preserve the Eph lead. Williams played to the corners throughout the rest of the game and walked off the field with the 2-1 victory.
Williams will now take on Trinity in the NESCAC Semi-finals, to be hosted by Amherst next Saturday. Tufts will await word as to whether or not they receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Match statistics
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Match recap courtesy of Williams College
