Second time's the charm; Williams is the 2015 women's champion
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| Williams celebrates their first-ever national title in women's soccer Photo by Kris Dufour, Williams College |
Having failed by the narrowest of margins to claim their first national title last year, the Williams women’s soccer team got the job done on the second go-around, defeating Washington U. 1-0 on a late first half goal against the run of play. It was a game of two halves—Washington having the upper hand much of the first half, Williams controlling most of the play after the break—so it was somewhat ironic that the lone goal and game-winner was scored by the Ephs in the first stanza. But such is the nature of soccer so often—Williams won’t care how it happened, while the Bears will rue not having managed a goal or two when the game was tilting in their favor.
First Half
It was nearly a perfect start for the UAA champions—the exact opposite of how things got underway versus Messiah the day before—as the Bears came out fast and were a whisker from opening the scoring after 90 seconds. Off a corner kick, Katie Chandler sent a header goal-bound with the keeper beat, but a pair of Eph defenders managed to get a foot to the ball, sending it crashing onto the underside of the crossbar, back down and then up and over the crossbar on the second attempted clearance. Chandler was at it again minutes later, catching the goalkeeper off guard with a shot from just outside the top left corner of the area that clanged the crossbar—it wouldn’t be the last involvement that particular crossbar had in the proceedings!
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| Washington U. junior Katie Chandler takes a shot in Saturday's match with Williams Photo by James Byard/WUSTL Photos |
Washington U. owned the opening nine minutes, with another great chance falling for Rachel Mickelson who got on the end of a through ball from Olivia Lillegraven as she entered the area, but opted for the outside of her right foot when a left-footed shot was called for, and her effort went wide of the left post.
Finally in the tenth minute, Williams' fans had something to get excited about as an excellent through ball put their leading scorer Kristi Kirshe in on goal, but her shot tamely rolled into the keepers arms when a strong shot to either side could have opened the scoring. From that point, Williams seemed to have found their feet, but Washington would continue to have more possession throughout the half and more of the play would be in their offensive half of the field.
While Williams would create the occasional half-chance, more of the danger was coming from the Bears’ attack. In the 21st minute, Chandler was again close to putting her name on the score sheet with a 35-yard bomb that whistled by just high and wide left of the mark.
Kristina Alvarado was one of the substitutes that came on for Williams in the 28th minute and she and earlier entrant Natasha Albaneze, who combined to such devastating effect in securing the semifinal win, gave the Ephs a lift, but no shot materialized from the two moments of danger they created. However, in the 42nd minute when Crystal Lewin pushed a through ball onto Alverado’s foot with a half-step on her defender, her composure belied she was a freshman as she bore down on the goalkeeper with speed and balance, slipping a shot by the goalkeeper and inside the left post just before losing the angle. 1-0 Williams against the run of play.
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| Photo by Kris Dufour, Williams College |
The half would end 1-0 with Washington certainly ruing that they hadn’t managed to convert their superiority over the opening forty-five minutes into any advantage on the scoreboard and feeling aggrieved to, in fact, be trailing at the break. Soccer can be unjust like that.
Second Half
Williams started the second half much better than the first while Washington seemed slow getting back into the game. The first good chance of the half fell to Williams’ Kirshe, but her effort from 10 yards out was sent straight at keeper. Ten minutes in and shots were even, but they were half-chances for Washington and full chances for Williams who also had more possession.
With most of the play occurring in the half Washington was defending, the Ephs seemed more likely to increase their lead than the Bears finding the equalizer. Kirshe and Audrey Thomas worked a give and go in the 57th minute, but, with a half-step on her defender inside the box, Kirshe’s shot lacked strength or placement and was easily saved. But the junior forward continued to be in the middle of the action, and Lizzy Crist smartly came off her line to claim a through ball just as it entered the area with Kirshe bearing down.
As the game headed towards the midpoint of the half, Washington continued to look a step slow. Were they tiring? Was the double overtime game the day before against a Messiah team that pushed them to the limit starting to show? Whatever the reason, the Bears were in real danger of falling further behind if they couldn’t get a foot back into the game.
In the 68th minute, Lewin, who assisted on the first goal, almost scored one herself when she clanked a shot off the crossbar—yes, that same crossbar—from just inside the top right corner of the area. Once Washington finally cleared the danger, Chandler received the ball near the midfield stripe and carried ball to just outside top of arc and blasted a shot just high and wide of the top left corner.
Against the run of play, it may have been poetic justice had Chandler’s solo effort gone in, but the score remained 1-0 in favor of the Ephs. However, the longer Williams maintained the upper hand without scoring, the more one wondered if a reversal of the first half was on the cards. And minutes later Williams conceded a foul that gave Washington a 30-yard free kick, but they failed to press their size advantage when the service sailed over the goal.
With the clocking ticking down under ten minutes, Washington began showing signs of desperation with a couple hopeful long-range efforts that seemed neither shots nor passes. The game had grown uneventful and remained compelling primarily because of its importance and the mere 1-goal difference. The Bears seemed to lack the energy to mount any final push for the equalizer, and the Ephs were killing the game off with spells of possession in their attacking half.
With 67 ticks left on the clock, a Williams' foul five yards inside their defensive half, gave Washington one last chance for a 50-yard “Hail Mary” free kick, but Williams keeper Tressa Palcheck rose commandingly above the fray to punch the ball clear. Then, in the dying seconds, Alvarado found the net a second time as Washington was slow to recover, but she was adjudged to have been offside, and the game finished with the score 1-0 as the Washington players slumped in fatigue and disappointment while the triumphant women of Williams ran to celebrate their program’s first ever national championship.
Epilogue
Washington U. finishes its season 20-3-1 and national runner-up for the second time, losing by the same score against Messiah in the 2009 Final. Williams’ final record is 21-1-2, exactly matching their best ever just last year. The difference between the two seasons for the Ephs is minimal and immense, all at the same time. The 2016 season opens in 301 days and 439 women’s squads will set out to knock off the defending national champion Williams Ephs.
Comments or feedback for the author? E-mail Christan Shirk.
