D3 Women’s Soccer: 3 Reasons Why Williams Will Win the Title

Williams [caption id="attachment_101922" align="aligncenter" width="618"] Williams topped William Smith in a PK Shootout to advance to the Final Four (Williams Athletics Photo)[/caption] With a return trip to the Championship Final on their minds, expect the veteran Williams squad to be set on returning to Cole Field next seasons as defending NCAA Champions, rather than runners-up. The Ephs topped BR-138 Westfield State , BR-18 TCNJ and BR-91 Stevens in early tournament matches, before facing off against then top-ranked BR-4 William Smith in the quarterfinals. After battling the Herons to 1-1 tie, the Ephs shut down the Herons in the PK shootout to advance to the Final Four. We'll take a look at what could move the Ephs to the top after this weekend. 1. The Eph Offense, led by Kristi Kirshe & Audrey Thomas [caption id="attachment_101923" align="aligncenter" width="618"] Williams Scoring Duo of Kristi Kirshe and Audrey Thomas (Williams Athletics Photo)[/caption] The Ephs are led in scoring, by juniors Kristi Kirshe (12 goals 9 assists, 33 points) and Audrey Thomas (12 goals, 4 assists, 28 points). Come tournament play however, seven different players scored as Williams cruised through the opening rounds past Westfield State (3-0), The College of New Jersey (3-0) , Stevens, (2-1), finally needing a PK shootout victory over William Smith after ending in a 1-1 tie. 2. Coach Michelyne Pinard [caption id="attachment_101924" align="aligncenter" width="618"] Williams Coach Michelyne Pinard was recently named NSCAA New England Coach of the Year (Williams Athletics Photo)[/caption] Williams Head Coach Michelyne Pinard is in her 14th season as the Williams women's head coach. She became the all-time leader in wins at Williams this fall when the Ephs defeated TCNJ in the Second Round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament on November 15th. Her 197 victories surpasses the 195 of her predecessor Lisa Melendy, now the Director of Athletics at Williams. Under Pinard, the Ephs have qualified for the NESCAC Tournament all 14 years, while compiling an overall record of 197-43-27 (.783) and 95-24-11 (.781) in NESCAC play. Pinard has coached NESCAC Players of the Year in three of the last 10 years (Sara Wild - 2010, Brianna Wolfson - 2009, and Gabrielle Woodson - 2007). Williams is 24-8-2 (.735) in NCAA Tournament play during Pinard's tenure, having advanced to the quarterfinals four times and the national semifinals three times. Overall, Williams has reached the NCAA Tournament 10 times in her 14 seasons in Williamstown including the last nine seasons. Last year was the first time a Williams team had advanced to the national championship contest. Williams lost the 2014 title tilt to Lynchburg in a penalty kick shootout after playing 110 scoreless minutes. 3. Second Chances [caption id="attachment_101929" align="aligncenter" width="618"] Williams will be looking to get back into the finals after dropping a PK shootout in last season's final[/caption] Two years ago, they lost out to Johns Hopkins in the Sweet 16 with 22 seconds left on the clock; last year they despaired twice in penalty shootouts both in the NESCAC Championship game and after falling short in 2014’s Championship Final in a 4-3 PK shootout to BR-33 Lynchburg , the Ephs will be looking to finish what they started last season. More D3 Women's Final Four Coverage...

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