Author: David Gottlieb

The men’s hockey season has been defined by one word: inconsistency. They have not won back to back games since Jan. 18th and 19th. Over the weekend, the trend continued when the team beat Colby on the road, but then lost to Bowdoin the next day. This erratic stretch left the Cards with a record of 7–8–1 in NESCAC play and a 11–10–1 record overall.

In the game against the Mules on Friday night, the Red and Black won 4–2. Despite the final score, the game got off to a rough start; the Cards fell behind right away, after Colby scored in the first minute of the game to take a 1–0 lead that lasted for the rest of the period. However, Wesleyan responded in the second, as Matt Zandi ’21 scored with just under 13 minutes to go in the period to tie the game at 1-1.

Wesleyan then scored twice more to take a 3–1 lead into the second intermission, as Tyler Wyatt ’20 scored with just under six minutes to go. Zandi added a second goal just three minutes after Wyatt’s to put the Cards up by two. In the third, the Cards added a fourth goal, as Walker Harris ’20 scored with just over 12 minutes to go in the game. Colby added a second goal but it was too little too late to make a comeback.  Throughout the game, Wesleyan was actually outshot by Colby 27–22, despite winning the day. However, goalie Tim Sestak ’20 made 25 saves, standing strong in the victory. 

Despite the positive momentum of the win, the Cards could not string together back to back performances. After their victory, the team lost to Bowdoin by a score of 3-1. Similar to the game against Colby, the Red and Black fell behind early, as Bowdoin got on the board in the first period just over five minutes in. The Polar Bears then added a second goal just under three minutes later to take a 2–0 lead. The score remained the same until the end of the third, when Tyler Levine ’22 scored with just over a minute left to cut it to one. Unfortunately, the comeback fell short as Bowdoin added an empty-net goal shortly after to secure the victory. On the stat sheet, Wesleyan was outshot 36–24 and Sestak made 33 saves in the losing effort. 

Captain Spencer Fox ’20 discussed the erratic play of the Cards.

“The team was inconsistent this past weekend and has been characteristic of our year so far,” Fox said. “We seem to bring our ‘A’ game one day and then have a letdown game the next.”

He added that putting the pucks in net was a major reason why the team was able to rebound from the prior loss against Middlebury to beat Colby.

“The key to getting back in the win column against Colby was our execution,” Fox said. “We were able to capitalize on our opportunities and get four behind their goalie.”

However, in the game against Bowdoin, Fox felt that the team let their guard down a bit which led to the bad loss.

“The difference between the win against Colby and the loss against Bowdoin was our focus,” Fox said. “I think complacency started to creep in against Bowdoin, and we thought it was going to be a cakewalk. In the NESCAC anybody can beat anybody on any given night, a lesson we learned the hard way.”

Next, the Cards wrap up their regular season with a pair of games against Connecticut rival Trinity. The home game is on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. Trinity is currently in second place in the NESCAC with a record of 11–4–1 in conference and 16–5–1 overall. In addition to Trinity’s stellar defense, they are also second in total scoring offense with 51 goals scored. This will be a good test for the Cards as they try to secure their position in the NESCAC playoffs. 

Fox emphasized the need for the team to bring their best game this weekend against competitive teams like Williams.

“The key against Trinity will be to minimize our turnovers because they capitalize on their opportunities,” Fox said. “Playing fast will also be essential because they’re a bigger and slower team. We’ve shown this year that we rise to the occasion against good teams, and I don’t expect anything different this weekend.”

 

David Gottlieb can be reached at dgottlieb@wesleyan.edu.

Following a four game losing streak, men’s hockey finally climbed back into the win column, upsetting no. 9 ranked Williams by a score of 3–1.

Going into the contest last Friday, Feb. 7, the Ephs had only been giving up an average of about a goal and a half each game. In the first period, the Ephs defense looked like it would continue its strong season, as Wesleyan tried everything to put the puck past a stingy Ephs defense. Despite 20 shots on goal, the Red and Black could not find the back of the net. However, the Cards were able to jump on the scoreboard during the second period, as Walker Harris ’20 scored on a short-handed breakaway at the 13 minute mark. The Red and Black added to their lead later in the period, scoring on a two-on-one opportunity. Harris fired a pass over to Cam Peritz ’21, who finished the play with a successful shot.

In the third period, the score remained 2–0 with just over three minutes remaining in regulation, until Williams made it a 2–1 game. 

Fortunately, Wesleyan restored the two-goal lead shortly thereafter. Tyler Wyatt ’20 scored with just under two minutes left to seal the exhilarating upset victory for the Cards. This completed a total offensive effort for the Wesleyan, as they outshot the Ephs 38–30 for the game. On defense, goalie Tim Sestak ’20 made 29 saves in the upset victory.

However, the Cards couldn’t keep the momentum going in their next game against Middlebury, falling to the Panthers 4–1. Similar to the night before against Williams, the game against the Panthers remained scoreless after the first period. In the second period, Middlebury scored first to go up 1–0 a little over halfway through the period. The Panthers then added a second goal just under a minute and a half into the third period.

Wesleyan then cut the lead to one as Tyler Kobryn ’21 scored to break the shutout later on in the third. Nonetheless, it was short-lived as Middlebury answered within three minutes to extend the lead back to two. The Panthers then added an additional fourth goal to clinch the victory. Sestak made 23 saves in the loss, and Cardinals outshot the Panthers 30-27 despite losing by three goals.

Captain Spencer Fox ’20 was pleased with how the team played in both games over the weekend, emphasizing their quality skating and aggression on both sides of the ice.  

“The team played well this past weekend,” Fox said. “We were fast on the forecheck, even faster on the backcheck, and blocked a lot of shots.”

Fox added that the key to winning against Williams was controlling the puck on offense and the agility of Wesleyan’s forwards. 

“The key to the game was chipping pucks in deep and using our speed to retrieve,” Fox said.  “We made their defense turn very often which wore them down by the end of the game.”

Despite playing well in both games, Fox attributed the Saturday loss to their carelessness with the puck.

“The biggest difference from Friday to Saturday was the turnovers,” Fox said. “On Saturday we were trying to do too much at times instead of simplifying like we did on Friday.” 

Next up, the Cards head up to Maine to take on both Colby and Bowdoin in their final multiple-game road trip of the regular season. 

Colby is currently in last place with a 3–9–2 conference record, and Bowdoin is in eighth with a 5–8–1 record. Not surprisingly, this also means that they are near the bottom of the NESCAC in the stats column. Colby has the lowest scoring offense and Bowdoin has been the worst defensive team in all of the NESCAC this season.

Even though both teams are near the bottom of the conference standings, Fox stressed the importance of every game heading into the final four games of the season, with the Cards sitting in sixth place with a conference record of 6–7–1 and an overall record of 10–9–1.

“We need to treat these games like they’re playoff games and not look ahead,” Fox said. “We need to take care of business on arguably the most difficult road trip of the year.”

 

David Gottlieb can be reached at dgottlieb@wesleyan.edu

Last weekend, the men’s hockey team’s losing streak snapped at three games when they tied Amherst 1–1 in a hard-fought game. Before that, however, the Cardinals fell to Hamilton on Friday night in a tough 2–0 loss. 

Both of the goals Hamilton scored came less than one minute apart, as Hamilton was able to capitalize twice before the end of the first period. The Continentals’ scoring effort was strong enough to secure the win. This was a difficult shutout loss, considering that the Red and Black had ample chances to score, outshooting Hamilton 25–13 throughout the game. But the Cards struggled to find the back of the net, and as a result, they now sit two and a half games behind the Continentals in the league standings, with Hamilton earning the tiebreaker after completing their season sweep of the Cardinals. On the defensive side of the puck, Tim Sestak ’20 made 11 saves in the losing effort. 

The Saturday against Amherst saw similar offensive play from the Cardinals, as they once again had numerous chances to score and only found the back of the net once. Like Friday night, Wesleyan fell behind 1–0 in the first period when Amherst scored just 14 seconds into the game. However, the Cards were finally able to score after about 75 minutes of game action across their two weekend matches, as Tyler Wyatt ’20 scored off of a nice pass from Spencer Fox ’20 to tie it up at one.

In the next two and a half periods, both teams had chances but neither scored. After an additional five minute overtime period, the game ended 1–1. Sestak was stellar, making 46 saves to keep the game tied throughout. Despite the 0–1–1 weekend, Fox was not unhappy about how the team played in both games, as it was just a matter of scoring that prevented them from winning the games this past weekend. 

“The team played very respectfully this past weekend,” Fox said. “We outworked the other teams, limited scoring chances against, generated ample scoring opportunities, and remained disciplined.”

Fox added that the main key in the two games was finally being able to finish their chances as a team and end their longest scoring drought of the season. 

“The main difference between the tie and the loss was our execution around the net,” Fox said. “We generated 50 shot attempts against Hamilton but failed to score, and generated 40 shot attempts against Amherst and only scored once. That’s not going to cut it. “

Next up, the Cards continue on their journey through the NESCAC; tonight they host league leaders Williams at 7 p.m., followed by a match tomorrow afternoon versus fourth place Middlebury at 3 p.m.

Williams has a league-leading record of 10–2 in NESCAC, with a 13–4–1 record overall. The Ephs are also tied with Trinity for the NESCAC lead in total goals scored with 59, and have the most goals in conference play with 40. Williams is similarly stout defensively, as compared to the Ephs, who gave up only 1.42 goals per game in conference play and 17 goals on the season, both of which lead the league. Having already faced and lost to the Williams juggernaut, Fox says that the key to flipping the script on the scoreboard will be to play a sound game overall and not give up too much on either end.  

“The key to the Williams game will be to neutralize their transition game and counter-attacks,” Fox said. “They’re very skilled at pouncing on turnovers and capitalizing on their opportunities, so we will need to limit those as much as possible.” 

While they may not be the powerhouse that Williams has been this year in the NESCAC, Middlebury has a respectable 5–4–3 NESCAC record with a 7–8–3 record overall. Despite having lost to Wesleyan earlier in the season, the Panthers have actually scored more total conference goals than the Cards this year and have given up one less goal on defense. Regardless of their opponents’ record, Fox stressed that the key to winning games to finish the season will be to get the recently-stagnated offense working again.

“A strong finish in conference play will happen if we score more goals,” Fox said. “We’re playing well defensively, generating scoring opportunities, and winning the majority of battles. It’s almost impossible to win when you score once a game, so filling the net more will be key.”

David Gottlieb can be reached at dgottlieb@wesleyan.edu.

The men’s hockey team’s inconsistent play that hindered them in the beginning of the season has continued to hamper them as the season has gone on. They are currently 9–7, but they are only 5–5 in NESCAC play.

Over winter break, while most students were enjoying their time off, the Cards were hard at work against tough NESCAC competition. They had a lot of success during the break, going 3–1, with wins over Middlebury, Bowdoin, and Colby and a lone loss coming against a nationally ranked Williams team. They also were successful in their non-conference games as well, winning the Codfish Bowl to kick off the new year in Massachusetts by beating Fitchburg State University in the semifinals and the University of Massachusetts Boston in the final.

In the semifinals, the Cards defeated Fitchburg by a score of 2–1. The Cards had to come from behind as Tyler Levine ’22 and Quincy Gregg ’20 scored in the third period to turn a 1–0 deficit into a 2–1 win. Senior Tim Sestak made 23 saves to secure the victory. But the final against UMass Boston was a different story: The Cards won by a score of 6–2. Five different players scored for the Red and Black, led by two goals by Cam Peritz ’21. Sestak once again was solid, making 39 saves on 41 shots.

Following this triumph and break from NESCAC play, the Cards resumed the conference with a tough loss to thirteenth-ranked Williams by a score of 4–2. Wes went down 3–0 to the Ephs, with all three goals coming in the second period. The Cardinals rallied to score two in the third, narrowing the margin to 3–2, but the Ephs added an empty netter to secure the victory. Peritz and Emmet Powell ’23 scored the two Cardinal goals, and Sestak made 27 saves in the loss.

Following the loss, the Red and Black went on to defeat Middlebury to cap off a 1–1 weekend, winning against the Panthers by a score of 3–1. Powell scored once and Levine scored twice to secure the victory, while Sestak made 19 saves. The next game, however, the Cards’ four-game non-conference winning streak snapped, and they fell to SUNY Plattsburgh by a score of 3–2 in a midweek game.

They rebounded from the loss, though, with two conference wins over Colby and Bowdoin. First, against the Mules, the Red and Black won by a score of 3–1, with Walker Harris ’20, Spencer Fox ’20, and Liam Donelan ’23 providing the offense. In goal, Sestak made 23 saves in the victory. Then, against the Polar Bears, the Cards won by a score of 4–3. Harris scored twice and Peritz scored once to put Wes up 3–0 before Bowdoin scored three straight to tie it up. However, eventually Fox scored in the third period to put the Cards ahead for good. Sestak had another solid game, making 29 saves. Unfortunately, the conference winning streak snapped at three as Wesleyan went 0-2 over the weekend, losing to Tufts by a score of 4–2 and then Connecticut College by a score of 2–1. In both games, Wesleyan fell behind early before either tying up the game or making a rally before eventually losing.

Despite the two tough losses, Fox is happy with how the team is playing right now.

“The team has looked strong the last few games despite a couple of tough losses,” Fox said. “Our overall team play continues to grow as the season progresses as we get closer and closer to the playoffs.”

Fox added that the key to turning losses into wins was playing at a higher level.

“The key to getting back in the win column is to trust the way we’ve been playing and improve our execution,” Fox said. “Finishing pucks around the net will surely help us, but we need to stay committed to team defense and out-skating our opponents.”

Next up, the Cards return home to take on Hamilton College at 7 p.m on Friday, followed by a home matchup against Little Three rival Amherst on Saturday at 3 p.m.

After losing to Hamilton earlier in the season, the team is determined for revenge.

“The loss to Hamilton earlier in the year gives us plenty of motivation to rewrite the script this time around,” Fox said. “Playing a sound defensive game, outworking them in all three zones, and executing on our scoring chances will be the key to success.”

 

David Gottlieb can be reached at dgottlieb@wesleyan.edu.

After a historic 2018-19 campaign that saw a program record for wins, the men’s hockey team is looking to continue that success this season as they return to action tonight. The Cards have been working hard for the last few weeks during their preseason practices, and now they finally get to kick off their season at home this weekend with two NESCAC games.

The Red and Black are looking to build upon a sensational season that saw them win the Little Three title for the second time in three years, while boasting a superb in-conference record of 13–3–2 and 16–8–2 overall. Last year’s record was good enough to be the second seed in the NESCAC tournament, in which they made it to the semifinals, falling in a double-overtime heartbreaker to Amherst by the score of 1–0. 

Despite losing many key players from last year including Chad Malinowski ’19, Andy Espinoza ’19, and Vincent Lima ’19, there are a lot of returning talents. One of the key returners to the team is goalie Tim Sestak ’20, who is the defending NESCAC Player of the Year. Last year, Sestak had a .946 save percentage, leading the NESCAC, and a 1.65 goals-against average, which was good enough for second in the conference. His save percentage was also the third-best save percentage in DII and DIII combined. In addition, Sestak set a NESCAC tournament record with 65 saves in the double OT loss to Amherst.

On the offensive side of the puck, the Cards see the return of leading goal scorer Walker Harris ’20, who scored 19 goals last year and had 31 points, which was also a team-high. Other returning key players include Tyler Levine ’22 and Spencer Fox ’20. On defense, the team returns many defensemen including Matthew Zandi ’21 who tallied one goal and seven assists last year.

In addition to all returning players, the team welcomes 10 new first-years to the team this year, adding a ton of depth to an already talented roster.

Fox believes that so far the team looks good in practice, and that this new depth brings excitement and anticipation for the season to begin.

“The team has looked sharp straight from the get-go in early September,” Fox said. “Our depth has been evident from day one, which has created a buzz within the locker room about the promises that lay ahead this season. As far as personnel, we have a nice mix of returners and newcomers who are all poised to contribute to the team’s success this year. I think the excitement that’s been generated because of this has created lofty and realistic expectations amongst ourselves, which can apply unwarranted pressure is ignored. We have been curbing this enthusiasm by preaching a strong work ethic and not allowing complacency to creep in, focal points that have served us well thus far.”

Fox thinks the key to getting off to a good start is to remain focused on each game and continuing to play to the team’s strengths.

“Staying in the moment and not looking ahead is crucial,” Fox said. “Taking everything game by game, shift by shift, and focusing on winning the next 50/50 battle. It’s no secret that one of our team’s strengths is our speed, so sticking to that by zipping the puck around and winning foot races will be key to starting the season off on the right note.” 

The Cards start their season with four straight NESCAC battles. This weekend, they open their home slate by facing off against Tufts on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a matchup with Connecticut College on Saturday at 3 p.m.

After these two games, they will head out on the road next weekend to take on Hamilton and Little Three rival Amherst.

The team is optimistic, but they understand that success will come with focus and work rather than expectations and momentum.

“It’s difficult to repeat a successful season such as the one we had last year, even if it didn’t end up the way we wanted it to,” Fox said. “There’s enough talent on the team to rewrite the script, but we can’t do that without an extremely high compete level to glue all the pieces together. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard, so it’s imperative that we constantly work to improve our game so we can peak at the end of the season. There will be hills and valleys like there are in any season, so it will be important for us to keep an even keel in the face of adversity when it strikes.” 

 

David Gottlieb can be reached at dgottlieb@wesleyan.edu.

The NESCAC season for the women’s soccer team came to a disappointing end last week. They dropped their last two conference games, finishing out their conference matchup run with a three-game losing streak that included a tight quarterfinal loss to Middlebury on the road.

Before facing the Panthers, the Cards first wrapped up their regular season with a loss to Conn. College by a score of 2–0. The game was tight throughout the first half as the Camels scored to take a 1–0 lead off of a corner just over 12 minutes into the game. The lead stayed that way into halftime as neither team could find a way to score.

The Camels then added a second goal just under three minutes into the second half. Now down 2–0, the Cards worked valiantly to get on the scoreboard; they outshot the Camels 13–3 in the half but unfortunately could not find a way to put the ball in the net.

Despite not scoring throughout the game, the Cards dominated the Camels offensively, outshooting them 21–10. Katie Stewart Frizzell ’20 led the team with four shots on goal.

On defense, goalie Sarah Hammond ’22 made six saves in the losing effort.

Despite ending the regular season with a loss, the Cards finished with a 9–4–2 record overall, which is their best record since 2011 and good enough to get them the seventh seed in the NESCAC Tournament.

As the seventh seed, the Red and Black traveled to Middlebury to take on the second-seeded Panthers. Despite a strong effort, the Cards could not pull off the upset, losing by a score of 2–1.

At Middlebury, the Cards once again fell behind early, this time for the third straight game, as the Panthers scored just over four minutes into the first half. The score remained 1–0 until just over 30 minutes remained in regulation, when Dani Milovanov ’23 scored to tie the game up at one with pass from Julia Meehan ’20. Unfortunately for the Cards, Middlebury responded only 15 minutes later with a goal that put them in front for good and ended the Cards’ NESCAC tournament hopes.

The game was tight on the stat sheet. Middlebury only outshot the Cards 11–10. The Red and Black’s offensive effort came from multiple players, as four members tied for the team led with two shots each. On the defensive side of the ball, Hammond made two saves.

Despite the tough end to the NESCAC season, both Andi Wiley ’22 and Grace Devanny ’23 were happy with the team’s performance, especially in the quarterfinal against Middlebury.

“After our loss against Trinity, we were up against a lot of pressure to perform well in our final regular-season conference game versus Conn; however the weather conditions were not ideal and thus, we had a tough time playing our technical game in response to Conn’s style,” Wiley said in a message to The Argus. “Still, we came out confident against Middlebury for our first tournament game and produced a great performance, but were unable to get the results, unfortunately, letting in a last-minute goal towards the end of the second half.”

Devanny agreed with Wiley, adding that the team’s effort was organized and composed.

“We had a certain drive and will to win that was not present throughout the end of the season games,” Devanny said. “It was great to get back on our feet and finish the NESCAC season on such a competitive level.”

Despite the loss, the Cards still have a shot to make the NCAA tournament. They will find out if they get a bid on Monday once the conference tournament has been completed.

If they get the bid, both Devanny and Wiley agree that the team must work on defending set pieces and corners as three of the last four goals given up were off of corner kicks.

“As a team, we are really trying to perfect our organization and confidence in this area so we do not let up any more goals through these types of plays,” Devanny said.

Although they’ve faced a tough end to the NESCAC schedule, both players are happy with how the season has gone and are eagerly waiting to find out if it continues.

“We have had a very successful season, breaking multiple school records,” Wiley said. “Unfortunately, the end of our regular season is a poor reflection of our season as a whole. But, hopefully, we will have another chance to prove ourselves in the NCAA tournament if we get a bid.”

 

David Gottlieb can be reached at dgottlieb@wesleyan.edu.

The women’s soccer team’s stellar play this season continued over their last four games as they went 3–1. During this latest stretch, the Cardinals pushed their overall record to 9–3–2 and their conference record to 4–3–2. 

After the home shutout loss against Tufts back on Oct. 6, the then-22nd-ranked Cards needed to get back on track in conference play. Which they did, with a convincing 5–0 win over Bates at home on Senior Day. The Cards came out strong as Kate Hausladen ’23 scored the first goal of the game just under 15 minutes in. That was the only goal of the half as the Cards could not add to their lead before the halftime whistle. In the second half, the Cards were able to double their lead early when Audrey Lavey ’23 scored off of a header just under four minutes in. They scored again 12 minutes later after a shot by Melissa Wilhelm ’22 hit the post and Hausladen was able to get to the rebound in the box, scoring her second goal of the game. The Cards later added two more goals by Emily Ribatt ’21 and Grace Devanny ’23 to close out the resounding 5–0 victory. On offense as a whole, the Red and Black outshot the Bobcats by a wide margin of 32–4 and Lavey led the team in shots with six. On defense, goalie Sarah Hammond ’22 picked up her fifth shutout of the year, having to make only two saves the entire game.

The Cards then traveled up to Hamilton where they were able to get a crucial road victory over the Continentals by a score of 3–0. As has been the case with most of their victories this year, the Cards opened the scoring just over 30 minutes into the game as Nicole Brodkowitz ’20 scored off a corner kick to give the Cards a 1-0 lead that they took into the half. The score remained that way until, with just under 10 minutes remaining, Devanny scored to give the Cards a 2–0 lead and seal the victory. Hausladen tacked on a third with just over three minutes remaining in the game. On the offensive side of the ball, shots were pretty even throughout the game with Hamilton having a 20–19 edge. Hausladen led Wesleyan with four shots. Danielle Soto ’23 led the team in assists with two. On the defensive side, Hammond made six saves to pick up another shutout. 

After the road victory, the Cards returned home to take on Mount Holyoke in their last regular season home game. Against the Lyons, the Cards were able to take care of business and extend their winning streak to three with a 4–0 win. The game was never close as the Cards outshot Mount Holyoke 48–0, led by Lavey who had a team-high nine shots. Andi Wiley ’22 opened the scoring for Wesleyan just over 20 minutes in. The Red and Black were then able to add two more before the half as Devanny scored twice in a span of less than 90 seconds right before the half. In the second half, the Cards were able to add a fourth goal as Soto scored just under 10 minutes in.

Unfortunately, the three-game winning streak was snapped on Saturday as the now 23rd ranked Red and Black fell to Trinity in a tight 2–1 game on the road. Trinity was able to get on the board first as they scored twice in the first thirteen minutes to take a 2–0 lead. However, the Cards were able to quickly cut it to 2–1 on a goal by Hausladen only a minute after the Bantam’s second goal was scored. The score remained the same until halftime. In the second half, Wesleyan had multiple opportunities to tie the game, including a missed penalty kick by Ribatt, but could not find the equalizer. Despite being on the wrong end of the result, Wesleyan outshot the Bantams 21–6 with Hausladen leading the way with five. On the defensive side, Hammond made one save in the loss. 

On Wednesday afternoon, the Cards will take on Conn. College on the road in their last game of the regular season. This is closely followed by a NESCAC quarterfinal game on Saturday. The Red and Black currently sit in sixth place in the NESCAC standings. That could change, however, depending upon the result of their game on Wednesday and other results around the league. There is a lot to be determined in terms of seeding and where the Cards will play, with one regular season game remaining. 

 

David Gottlieb can be reached at dgottlieb@wesleyan.edu.

The women’s soccer team won the Little Three title for the first time in 37 years after tying Amherst 0–0 last Saturday. The draw, combined with the upset win over Williams earlier in the season, gave the Cards the outright title. 

“It was pretty surreal and definitely nice to win that for the coaches who have put so much into the program,” said captain Julia Meehan ’20. 

This result against the Mammoths came in the middle of a three-game stretch in which the Cards went 1-1-1. First, the team found victory with a win over Emerson College. After the tie against Amherst, the team fell to conference rival Tufts. Despite the later defeat, the Cardinals’ record now stands at an impressive 6-2-2.

In their first game last Tuesday after six days off, the Cards beat Emerson 3-2 at home. The game was a close one, as no goals were scored in the first half despite the Red and Black having a 12-0 shot advantage. 

In the second half, Emerson got on the board first, scoring a minute and a half into it. Wesleyan responded 10 minutes later, when Grace Devanny ’23 scored off a header to tie the game up at one. She then scored again, just eight minutes later, to put the Cards ahead 2-1. Emerson responded only two minutes after to tie the score, yet Audrey Lavey ’23 struck back with under six minutes remaining in regulation. Lavey’s goal put the Cards ahead for good. 

Despite the tight scoreline, the game wasn’t close on the statsheet. The Cards outshot Emerson 24-2, with Devanny totaling a game-high nine shots. On defense, goalie Sarah Hammond ’22 made one save in the victory.

With the win, the Cards were able to set a new program record of seven straight games without a loss. 

After the win over Emerson, the Cards headed to Amherst last Saturday for the Little Three showdown with the Mammoths that ended in the 0-0 tie. 

Throughout the game, both teams had chances on offense. However, as shots from both sides narrowly missed or hit the post, neither team could find a way to break the deadlock through the 110-minute game. On the statsheet, Amherst barely outshot Wesleyan at 16-14, demonstrating the back and forth nature of the game. Gianna Argento ’21 led Wesleyan individually in shots with three. On defense, Hammond made eight saves to preserve the stalemate and clinch the title for the Cards. 

The game was also once of the most physically rough games of the year, with a total of 26 fouls.

Wes’ undefeated streak was then snapped at a program record eight games the next day, as the Cards fell to the Jumbos at home by a score of 2-0. The Red and Black again had chances to score first, but a quality opportunity hit the post. Immediately after, Tufts charged down and scored at the other end to take the lead in the 25th minute, which they wouldn’t relinquish as they added a second goal in the second half to cement the victory.

Despite no goals for the Red and Black, the Jumbos only outshot the Cards by 19-16. Hammond made four saves in the losing effort. 

Although the Cardinals eventually fell to their NESCAC foe, Meehan was impressed with the team’s recent performances.

“The team has looked strong the past three games,” Meehan said. “We have held a lot of possession and created chances to score, now we just need to take advantage of those and put the ball in the back of the net when we have the chance. I think we need to take advantage of scoring opportunities early. We’re focusing a lot in practice on attacking in the final third.”

Next up, the Cards look to get back on track and in the win column in conference play Saturday at home against Bates for their Senior Day.

While Bates hasn’t taken a conference win this season, Meehan emphasized the need to treat the matchup like every other tough conference game.

“It’s definitely important that we don’t let their record impact the way we come out and play. It’s a big game for us to get a result,” Meehan said. “It’s still a NESCAC game, so we need to come out with the same intensity and fight as we would against a Williams or Amherst.”

Fellow captain Emily Ribatt ’21 added that the adversity faced in the fateful Tufts game can help the Cardinals play well against Bates on Saturday.

“I think using Sunday as a learning experience is something that can make us work even harder and have a chip on our shoulder coming into this game,” Ribatt said. “This is a great test and opportunity for us to overcome adversity and prove we are a top level team.”

 

David Gottlieb can be reached at dgottlieb@wesleyan.edu.

The women’s soccer team tied the program record for its longest undefeated streak at six games after a win over Bowdoin, a tie against Colby, and a win over the Coast Guard Academy.

Last Saturday, in their first road game of the year, the Cards beat Bowdoin 2–1 in a closely fought game. In the first half, the Red and Black got off to a good start as Grace Devanny ’23 scored the opening goal just under 20 minutes into the game, putting the team up 1–0. But Bowdoin came back and scored only 11 minutes later to knot the game up at 1 and close out the half. The second half was a tough battle as both teams had chances to take the lead but could not convert. Finally, with three and a half minutes to go, Devanny scored the game-winning goal, her second goal of the game, to put the Cards ahead for good as they secured a crucial road victory.

Throughout the game, Wesleyan had the advantage in shots 11–7, with Devanny having the team lead with four. On the defensive side of the ball, goalie Sarah Hammond ’22 made three crucial saves.

The Cards then had a quick turnaround with a game the following day at home against Colby, where they drew 0–0. Despite there being no goals, Wesleyan had opportunities. The Cardinals outshot the Mules by a wide margin of 20–8 and had multiple chances either go wide or go off the post. Audrey Lavey ’23 led the offensive effort with four shots. At the other end of the field, Hammond made seven crucial saves to keep the game scoreless.

Despite not conceding any goals, the Red and Black didn’t come away unscathed from the game; Devanny went down with a wrist injury in the second half. The injury was not serious, though, and she’ll be returning to action this week.

After the 1–0 weekend in conference play, the Cards headed to New London for a midweek non-conference clash with Coast Guard Academy. Wesleyan took care of business, winning by a score of 2–0. The Cards came out on a strong note, as they often have this season, with Lavey scoring her first career goal just over 20 minutes into the game to give her team the 1–0 lead. Lavey then added a second goal early in the second half and the Cards closed out the 2-0 victory. Despite the score line, Coast Guard actually had more shots than Wesleyan, but Hammond made five saves to deny them any goals. The victory over Coast Guard pushed the team’s record to a stellar 5–1–1.

Captain Julia Meehan ’20 was pleased with how the team has looked its last three games.

“The team has looked pretty solid the past three games,” Meehan said. “Our defense has been very strong, only allowing one goal in those three games. We’ve been dominating possession in each game, so now we’re working to build upon that possession in the offensive end and create more chances.”

Meehan also attributes the consistent play thus far to the high standards the team expects from themselves each game.

“I think the key to remaining consistent as a team is to hold the same standards for each game,” Meehan said. “I think our coach said it best by saying the tie on Sunday felt like a loss, and that’s definitely different from previous years. We are no longer content with just being decent, in the middle of the NESCAC. We want to be at the top, so having that standard as a team and going into every game with that mentality no matter the opponent is definitely key to being consistent.”

Next up, the Cards take on Emerson at home on Tuesday before two key NESCAC games this weekend, going to Amherst on Saturday and returning home to face off against Tufts on Sunday. Both Tufts and Amherst have good records this year but are behind the Cards in the NESCAC standings, so getting good results will be pivotal to the Cards remaining near the top of the standings.

Meehan says having gone through the last doubleheader last weekend will help the team going into another tough back to back.

“We’re playing tougher teams this weekend, but knowing what the doubleheader entails both physically and mentally definitely helps us be ready to compete in both games,” Meehan said. “We will need to put together our best soccer to come away from this weekend with the results we want, but the previous practices and games have definitely prepared us for this.”

 

David Gottlieb can be reached at dgottlieb@wesleyan.edu.

The women’s soccer team’s stellar play continued this past week, with two huge wins over Williams and Springfield College. The recent success extended their winning streak to three games, and pushed their overall record to 3–1–0.

On Saturday, in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Jackson Field, the Cards pulled off one of the biggest regular season wins in program history. The Red and Black beat top-ranked and two-time defending national champions, Williams, by a score of 2–1. The win over Williams was the Cardinals’ first in 37 years. The victory snapped the Ephs’ undefeated streak, one that started with a slew of victories in the middle of last November.

In the game, the Cards got off to a fast start, continuing what has become a trend for the team over these last three games. Captain Emily Ribatt ’21 got the offense going by scoring on a penalty kick to give the Red and Black a 1-0 lead just 14 minutes in. This was followed up by another goal not even seven minutes later, as Dani Milovanov ’23 found the back of the net for the first time in her college career. The two-goal advantage lifted the Cards’ wings until halftime. It’s safe to say the Cardinals dominated the first half.

In the second half, Williams turned up the pressure, but the Cards’ defense, led by goalie Sarah Hammond ’22, played tenaciously and didn’t allow many scoring chances for the opponent. With just about five minutes left in the game, Williams scored on a free kick to get it back to 2-1. Yet after that goal, the Cards played strong defense and didn’t give Williams an opportunity at a last-second comeback. Instead, the Ephs held on for a scoreless end of the matchup, and a resulting monumental upset.

During the game, Williams outshot Wesleyan 18-8, but Hammond stood tall in net, making six critical saves to preserve the upset. Grace Devanny ’23 led the team offensively in shots with three attempts at the net.

Ribatt was particularly ecstatic with the way the team stepped up against Williams to pull off the upset.

“It was such an incredible experience and everyone on the team understood how important that game was for us,” she said. “I am so proud of how we played for each other in that game, and we absolutely deserve that result.”

Following the exhilarating Williams upset, the Cards had a quick turnaround as they took on a tough Springfield College team just three days later. The face-off threatened to be just as contentious as the week’s earlier matchup—the Springfield Spirits had just tied with Williams in their previous game.

Yet the Cards took care of business against 25th-ranked Springfield, and left with another win, this time 3–1.

In the game, the Cards once again took the lead early when Andi Wiley ’21 converted on a free kick from just outside the box four minutes in. The score remained that way for the rest of the first half, as both teams had opportunities to score but couldn’t convert.

In the second half, the Red and Black extended their lead to 2–0 as Ribatt scored her second penalty kick just under ten minutes into the second half. She then added a third goal with just under 15 minutes to go on an incredible high shot from outside the box.

Springfield got on the board with a penalty kick goal with five minutes left, but it was too little, too late and the Cards closed the victory out. During the game, the Cards outshot Springfield 13-11 and both teams had six shots on goal. Devanny once again led the team in shots with three. On the defensive side, Hammond made five saves, including some critical ones before halftime to keep the score at 1-0.

“I think the team played really well in both games and we competed well in all aspects of the game,” Ribatt said. “The communication on offense and defense regardless of position made our team really successful, and allowed us to play fluid and complete soccer.”

Besides the team’s constructive communication, Ribatt credited the coaches for another quality performance, especially after such a big win on Saturday.

“I think our coaches did a great job of keeping us focused on playing well and not being too focused on Saturday,” she said. “We used our big win to push us to work harder and show that we deserve that victory and can compete with ranked teams.”

Fellow captain Julia Meehan ’20 also attributed the team’s success to the depth of its first-year lineup.

“The freshmen have definitely had a huge impact on the team this year,” Meehan said. “They’ve challenged us to up our level, and we now have many players that can step into roles seamlessly, allowing us to compete with top teams.”

Next up, the Cards head out on the road for the first time this year as they head to Maine to take on Bowdoin on Saturday, followed by a return trip home to take on Colby on Sunday.

“We treat every weekend as a new challenge, especially with an in-league double header coming up,” Ribatt said. “If we maintain the high level of work ethic, playing for each other and great chemistry on the field, we will continue to be successful.”

 

David Gottlieb can be reached at dgottlieb@wesleyan.edu.