For the third year in a row, men’s soccer has defeated their quarterfinal opponent to advance to the NESCAC semifinals. The team, which had a record of 9–6–1 overall and 4–5–1 in the NESCAC this season, finished seventh in the conference. They faced off against 2-seed Connecticut College in the quarterfinal, who finished out the season with a record of 7–1–2 in the conference and was ranked #7 nationally in the Division III men’s soccer coaches’ poll. Though the Camels came into the playoffs with the second-best record in the NESCAC, they are historically weak in the playoffs, having won just one contest out of their past 11 tournament appearances.
The Continentals were blanked 1–0 in their first showing against the Camels this season. The team came into the playoffs as the underdog, but they shut out Connecticut College in a decisive 1–0 victory on Sunday, Oct. 18. The match was reminiscent of 2016’s quarterfinals thriller, also against the Camels, in which Hamilton won 2–1 in overtime. Curiously, every lower-seeded team won their matches during last weekend’s quarterfinals matches. The top four teams were all eliminated.
The game took place on Connecticut College’s home turf, Harkness Field, in the rain, setting the scene for a dramatic matchup. The Continentals started Thomas Benson ’22 in goal, and this game was his fifth shutout. The Camels came out hot in the first half and controlled the ball for the majority of the time. They managed 10 shots on goal to Hamilton’s four and had all of the quarter kicks. Hamilton’s defense came up strong and held the Camels scoreless during a tenuous half.
Connecticut College kept up their aggressive play in the second half, and Benson saw even more action, especially as the game neared its end. The game was score-less for 58 minutes until Aidan Wood ’20, capping off yet another successful season, split two defenders and dribbled towards the Camels’ goal with some clever footwork. As Wood entered the box, he passed to Roth Wetzel ’22, who moved quickly towards the center of the box and fired a hard shot inside the left post and past the Camels’ goaltender. Wetzel, the team goal leader, picked up his seventh point. This was Wood’s ninth career assist.
The Camels increased their efforts after the goal, hoping to force an overtime. Four of Benson’s saves came in the last ten minutes of the game, as Connecticut College swarmed the net. Benson’s save percentage increased to an impressive 0.921, and his efforts paid off. As the clock ran out, the sidelines began to celebrate their third straight quarterfinal win. Midfielder Sebastien Deguines ’19 attributes the team’s win to their hard work and building momentum. “Team morale was pretty high after beating Colby [College], and we brought to momentum to Connecticut College after losing by one goal on our home field,” he said. “The season was on the line and everyone really stepped up.”
Hamilton’s next opponent will be Williams College. Williams, who finished in 6th place in the NESCAC, knocked out the 3rd-place Middlebury College in their quarterfinal match with a score of 1–0. Hamilton lost to Williams this season with a 1–0 loss, and has lost in regular time to Williams every season since 2012, when Hamilton lost in double overtime. Deguines emphasized the importance of this game, saying, “It’s a must-win on Saturday. Beating Williams would be a huge morale booster, especially because we lost to them [this season].”
Though a historically tough opponent, the team is buoyed by youth on offense and defense. This is a crucial game for the seniors in particular, who have gotten close to winning the final for all three years of their college career. This weekend’s game–or games–could put them one step nearer to closing out their soccer careers on the highest note of all: a NESCAC title. “We have a really good opportunity to win our first-ever NESCAC championship,” said Deguines. “It starts with taking care of Williams.”
The semifinal game will be this Saturday, Nov. 3 on Amherst College’s campus at 1:30 PM. The teams who wins will advance to the championship final the next day on Sunday, Nov. 4.
