WILLIAMSTOWN, MA (October 29, 2022) –
Elsi Aires' 75th-minute goal couldn't have come at a better time for the Jumbos, as they topped the NESCAC two-seed Williams College by a score of 2-0 on Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals.
The game was a scoreless battle through the first 75 minutes, as neither team could break through against each other's brick wall defenses.
Olivia Patz,
Caroline O'Neill,
Madelyn Silveira,
Lena Sugrue, and
Jordan Cushner all came up extremely clutch on the Jumbo defense throughout the game, thwarting every opportunity the higher-seeded Ephs threw at them. The game looked like it was destined to head to overtime, as neither team was able to get much offense going in the first half nor the majority of the second half.
Aires, the freshman forward who is tied with senior captain
Maddie Pero for the team lead in shot attempts, was finally able to break the scoreless tie in the 75th minute, as she forced her way to the middle of the field and netted a shot off some help from a ricochet. The shot was actually blocked by the Eph defense initially. However, it careened off a defender wickedly, and blooped over Leyla Kamshad, the Williams goalie. Kamshad jumped in an attempt to stop the deflection, but it was just out of her reach and into the back of the net, giving the Jumbos a 1-0 lead with 15 minutes to play.
Not long after, the Jumbos were able to add some insurance from none other than senior captain
Maddie Pero. She was able to escape down the right side of the field, taking on the Williams defense alongside forward
Claire Wilkinson. Wilkinson, who returned to action after having missed the past few games, slipped the pass down to Pero, who evaded two defenders and drew Kamshad out of the net. Pero then dropped in a beautiful chip over Kamshad's head in the 84th minute for what would be the nail in the coffin, securing the Jumbos' win.
The goal is Pero's fifth of the season, and there was arguably none more timely than this one.
The best Williams scoring chances in the game came from Tess Belnap, the points leader for the Ephs. Belnap was able to unleash five shots in the game, with three of them on goal. However, Tufts senior goalkeeper
Hayley Bernstein had debatably her best game of the season, as she wrapped up eight saves in the shutout against the #13 team in the country.
The win is just the second the Jumbos have secured against Williams since 2009.
The Jumbos led the game in shots (20-18), fouls (6-1) and shots on goal (10-8). Williams led in corner kicks (7-4), and both Kamshad and Bernstein were able to make eight saves in the match.
The Jumbos will be facing off against top seed Amherst College in the next round, as Amherst earned a 3-0 victory over Connecticut College Saturday and will host the top four remaining schools. The contest will be Saturday at 11 a.m. on the campus of Amherst College. The winner of that contest will take on the winner of the other semifinal of Wesleyan University and Trinity College in the final Sunday afternoon.
Written by Lucas Wlodarczyk, Athletic Communications Intern
