Two goals by Tori Huang ’25 and Brianna Wright ’26 led No. 18 women’s soccer (3-2-1, 2-1-1 NESCAC) to a 2-0 win against Trinity (0-5-0, 0-3-0 NESCAC) during the teams’ matchup on Saturday.
The Ephs, who have played a tough schedule so far, hope to build on this victory and are optimistic about their upcoming games, Huang told the Record.
“We’ve won, lost, and tied in conference games so far, so we’ve had a taste of everything,” captain Ava Simunovic ’24.5 said.
In their first game this year, the Ephs tied 0-0 with Hamilton (3-2-2, 0-2-2 NESCAC), unable to defeat the Continentals for the fifth year in a row. The team showed grit and determination later that week, besting the powerhouse No. 4 Tufts (3-1-1, 2-1-1 NESCAC) 2-1, which boosted morale, Huang said. However, in the next two games against Springfield College (3-1-2) and No. 2 Amherst (4-0-1, 2-0-1 NESCAC), the Ephs suffered two tough losses, falling 0-1 to both teams.
The Ephs returned stronger, decisively beating Clark (2-3-0) 5-0 and then triumphing against Trinity last weekend. “It was important for morale,” Wright said. “We needed to know that we can put the ball in the back of the net. Clark definitely solidified the knowledge that we are able to do that and then [our game at] Trinity was like, ‘Yes, we just did it.’”
Wright was a key player against Trinity, scoring in the second half on a goal assisted by Ansley Burns ’26, which cemented the win. “Bri plays with so much passion and tenacity,” Simunovic said. “She was relentless in the final third, constantly going at people, turning them inside, shooting her shots, and I think she was giving the people around her confidence to do the same thing.”
Huang scored the first goal of the game in the 18th minute, giving the Ephs an early lead. “She’s just a calming presence in the center mid,” Simunovic said. “We very rarely score in the first half, so it was really nice that Tori did because that kind of let us settle in and we didn’t get frantic.”
Simunovic and Huang also highlighted the efforts of goalkeeper Ana Bozzi-Mackay ’27, forward Bria Abbiati ’27, and the whole defensive line.
The away game also brought a change of pace for the Ephs, who had played only on their home field before the face-off with Trinity. “I actually like away games because I feel like there’s less pressure,” Huang said. “It is a little different when the fans are rooting against you … but I like the idea of being an underdog, and I think our team does a good job of staying focused, even on the road.”
Simunovic also said that the away games provide the team with the opportunity to bond. “Traveling with the team is a lot of fun and it really brings us together,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to [the double header in Maine next weekend] because we’ll get to stay in hotels together and really connect.”
The Ephs will face off against Colby and Bowdoin in Maine this Saturday and Sunday. “Sometimes we struggle with back-to-back games,” Huang said. “I think one of our goals next weekend, especially with NESCAC play, is to come out and be our best on both days and hopefully get six points out of the weekend.”
