Women's Semifinal 2 Preview

By D3soccer.com Contributor

NCAA Division III Women's Soccer - National Semifinal 2

Friday, December 4 — 1:30 pm CT No. 12  Centre (21-1-1) vs. No. 7  Williams (19-1-2)

How they reached the Final Four

2015 Statistical Overview

Centre Season Review

Centre advanced to the Elite 8 in 2014 and coming off a team-building visit to Ireland last summer, they entered the 2015 season with big expectations. With the exception of a ten day stretch in mid-September where they lost 2-0 to tournament participant Denison and drew 2-2 with SAA co-champion and tournament participant Sewanee, the Colonels have been a perfect 21-0-0. The Colonels have won the SAA tournament all four years of the conference's existence and have three of four shared or outright regular season titles. Centre is a balanced squad led on offense by Division I transfer Destinie Graves. They have a solid defense that has surrendered only twelve goals on the season and only one (with a 3-0) in the last eleven matches.

Centre was not a gracious host in the opening rounds of the tournament. They jumped quickly on Penn State-Behrend scoring two goals in the first eight minutes and went on to win 3-1 with much of the roster getting to experience NCAA play. They were just as merciless in round two as they built up a three goal lead at the half and finished 4-0 over Capital to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year.

In the Sweet 16 the Colonels met the No. 8 Saints of Thomas More in an intense defensive struggle with only seven shots in total between the two teams in the first half. Centre's keeper Olivia Alford kept the match at nil-nil in the 72nd minute when she held off a breakaway by Julia-Flagge Echols (24 goals, 1.09 per game - 18th nationally). Senior Rachel Harris delivered the winner in the 87th minute from thirty yards out. Colonel fans had an anxiety free day in the Elite 8 as the Colonels scored on their first two shots of the match and were up 2-0 after only eighteen minutes. Graves sealed things early in the second on the way to a hat trick and a 4-0 final.

Williams Season Review

The Ephs have been on a tear over the last two seasons with their run to the 2014 championship match and now a quick return to the Final Four. They are a combined 40-2-4 overall for the two years. Both years they won the NESCAC regular season titles with identical 9-1-0 records. Williams has been to the NESCAC championship match nine consecutive years, winning five, but they had not lifted the trophy in either of the previous two seasons. This year they broke that unwelcome streak with a 2-0 result over Bowdoin to earn the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.

In the regular season, they were a perfect 4-0-0 over teams (Springfield, Amherst and Bowdoin twice) in the NCAA field. That perfection continued with a pair of 3-0 home wins in the opening rounds of the tournament. They outshot Westfield State 41-1 to get things started and then comfortably dismissed TCNJ who limped into the tournament with a 1-3-1 mark in their last five games.

In the Sweet 16, the Ephs held the high scoring Stevens Ducks (3.86 goals per game) off the board for 82 minutes until Gabby Mathelier cut their lead to 2-1. The Ephs' defense was comfortably solid for the remainder of the match; allowing a single desperation attempt that went wide at 89:59. Against No. 3 William Smith in the Elite, Williams jumped out early on an Audrey Thomas goal in the eighth minute. They spent the rest of the match absorbing pressure from the prolific Heron attack. The Ephs have some great speed up top and were able to launch a few dangerous counters but the Heron defense led by Liberty League Defensive POY, Zoe Jackson Gibson, snuffed each of them out. The Heron offense finally broke down the Eph defense in the 86th minute when Shay Callahan nodded one home off a headed redirection from Jackson Gibson. The Herons kept up the pressure out shooting the Ephs 7-2 in the overtime periods but could not get the winner. The Ephs prevailed 3-0 in the shootout when one Heron kick struck the frame and substitute keeper Olivia Barnhill stopped two.

Head Coaches

Seniors' 4-year Record (through Nov. 15)

Players to Watch

Centre: F Destinie Graves (Jr.) – 26g, 9a, 8 GWG (SAA Off. POY) | D Tori Dillard (Jr.) – 1g, 5a (2x SAA Def. POY) | M Nancy Ingham (So.) – 12g, 9a, 2 GWG (1st Team All-SAA) | F Alex Combs (Sr.) – 12g, 1a, 4 GWG (2nd Team All-SAA, 2014 2nd Team All-Region) | GK Olivia Alford (Jr.) – 0.43 GAA, .857 Sv. Pct. (2nd Team All-SAA, 2014 1st Team All-SAA)

Williams: F Kristi Kirshe (Jr.) – 12g, 9a, 5 GWG (2x 1st Team All-NESCAC, 2014 2nd Team NSCAA All-American) | F Audrey Thomas (Jr.) – 12g, 4a, 5 GWG (2x 1st Team All-NESCAC, 2014 2nd Team All-Region) | M Mai Mitsuyama (Sr.) (3x 1st Team All-NESCAC, 2014 3rd Team D3soccer.com All-American) | M Maddie Swarr (Jr.) (1st Team All-NESCAC)

Analysis

Centre has participated in the tournament six times including the last five in a row and goes to Kansas City 7-5-2 overall in the big dance. Centre advanced to the Elite 8 last year before falling 1-2 to Illinois Wesleyan eight minutes into the first overtime period after surrendering the equalizer late. The Colonels are an experienced squad starting four seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and a lone freshman. They return significant "big game" experience: nine starters and three subs from last season's Elite 8 match played in the Calvin contest on their way to the Final Four.

Centre has multiple threats on offense led by Destinie Graves. Her 1.13 goals per game are thirteenth nationally. With her hat trick against Calvin she has tallied four goals along with two assists in the tournament despite playing only twenty two minutes the first weekend. But she is not alone; Centre has 69 goals on the season with Alex Combs (13g, 1a) and Nancy Ingham (12g, 9a) also dangerous. The defense is anchored by SAA Defensive Player of the Year, Tori Dillard and efficiently backstopped by goalkeeper Olivia Huber who has dealt with all but six shots and carries a fifteenth-ranked Goals Against Average nationally. Centre has peaked at the right time; in post-season play (conference and NCAA) they are a perfect 7-0-0 with 21 goals scored and only 1 conceded.

Williams has an impressive history including 17 all-time appearances and nine consecutive trips to the tournament. After last weekend they have an all-time tournament mark of 29-15-5 highlighted by last year's run to the championship match. Experience-wise, the Ephs are essentially even with Centre. In Sunday's match with William Smith, they also opened with an upper class dominated group including two seniors, five juniors alongside three sophomores and also only one freshman. Ten players in their rotation played in the 2014 championship match including seven who started.

The Ephs field three with regional and national recognition on their resume: Kirsti Kirshe, Audrey Thomas and Mia Mitsuyama. Forwards Kirshe (12g, 9a) and Thomas (12g, 4a) present defenses with a dual threat up top and have each contributed five game winning goals in 2015. Mitsuyama's contribution doesn't show in offensive statistics but her midfield presence linking play is a clear strength noted by opposing coaches. She is also an anchor in front of the defense which has held opponents to a highly ranked 0.48 goals against average and 13 shutouts. While the Ephs' defense gives up more shots at 10 per game than other highly ranked defenses, they do an excellent job limiting dangerous chances as only a third are on goal compared with a more typical 50%. Goalkeeper Tressa Palcheck completes the picture with an impressive 21st-ranked .880 save percentage. Their defensive statistics for this season are essentially identical to 2014 despite the graduation of D3Soccer.com Defender of the Year, Lily Wellenbach.

This will be the first ever meeting between the Centre Colonels and the Williams Ephs. Centre looks stronger statistically, especially offensively, they have improved throughout the year and may have the most dominant player on the pitch in Graves. As for the Ephs, they have compiled impressive statistics on defense and their offense is bolstered with Audrey Thomas rounding back into form. They are a proven group battle-tested by markedly stronger competition than Centre as measured by strength of schedule. Both teams have stingy back lines which keep their goalkeepers comfortable having allowed only 3.2 and 3.3 shots on goal per game, respectively, for Centre and Williams. However, both defenses will be tested in this semifinal contest and will find it difficult to keep the offensive talent on each side at bay for 90 minutes. Finally there are a substantial number of players from both sides that experienced a long run last year that didn't quite end as they wished. Not that anyone should need motivation at this point but that experience of not quite reaching the peak is likely an added boost for both sides. Not surprisingly for the Final Four stage, this match looks dead even. Both sides seem capable of finding the back of the net at least once but will anyone get a second? This match could be settled in that very unsatisfying manner: kicks from the mark.

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