Wesleyan’s field hockey team claimed its first Little Three title in history on Saturday, netting a goal early in the first half to come out with a win against the defending NESCAC champions, the Williams Ephs, 1-0.
The Cardinals were on the top of their game in their last regular season match as they looked ahead to the NESCAC Tournament, which began on Sunday.
Louisa Mook ’05 put the Cardinals ahead on Saturday with an unassisted goal less than three minutes into the first half.
“We played 70 full minutes as a unit, never letting our guard down,” said Co-Captain Mara Gross ’04. “Each individual on this team needs to be proud of their performance, no matter what their role.”
The early goal gave the team the mindset it needed to dominate the rest of the game. The defense kept the Ephs from scoring throughout the remainder of the game, with goalkeeper Caitlin Kelly ’07 chalking up 17 saves. The Cardinals were out-shot 19-7.
The intense play both teams exhibited on Saturday was even more evident on Sunday at Williams. The Cardinals were unable to repeat Saturday’s performance as the Ephs used their home field advantage and revenge in a grueling 3-1 win. The Ephs were hungry for a win and the Cardinals had to travel early in the morning up to Williamstown hoping to claim another victory.
Courtney Tetrault ’07 scored off a corner with 22:12 on the clock in the first half. It seemed that the Cardinals were going to be able to hold off Williams for another win, but the Ephs finally put one past Kelly with eight minutes remaining in the first half. The goal was scored by Tara Boyd ’05 and assisted by Emily Grannon ’06.
The goal came after the Cardinals had held the Ephs scoreless for over 80 minutes of play. After netting one goal, Williams’ momentum was apparently too much for the Cardinals’ defense to contain. This wasn’t immediately evident, though; both teams played with intensity, determined to leave everything on the field.
With less than three minutes remaining in the first half, Williams tri-captain Tori Scott took a shot and Kelly had an amazing save, but Scott was there for the rebound and her second attempt proved successful. The Cardinals did not let down as the Ephs took the lead. The game remained tight and Williams’ defense was forced to prove its strength as the Cardinals tried to tie up the game.
Late in the second half, Williams scored a third goal off a corner, and the score remained 3-1 at the conclusion of the game. Williams will advance to the next round of the NESCAC tournament.
Despite the loss, this weekend was a triumphant end to a successful season for Wesleyan field hockey. With 10 freshmen on the roster, no one was sure what to expect for the season, but the team has exceeded even the highest expectations.
“This season was certainly a season to be proud of. This team worked its way up from a ‘young’ status to Little three Champs!” said co-captin Jenn Wasserman ’05.
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