Women’s soccer (5-1-2, 4-1-1 NESCAC) snagged a 2-1 victory against the Bowdoin Polar Bears (4-3-0, 1-3-0 NESCAC) on Sunday, finishing the weekend strong after a frustrating 1-1 tie against the Colby Mules (4-1-3, 2-1-1 NESCAC) on Saturday.
Due to rain on Friday night, both the Ephs and the Mules played unsteadily on the wet grass at Saturday’s game. A couple slips and fumbles resulted in missed passes, according to midfielder Lucy Carrel ’29. “The grass was wet, so the ball kind of just ran through,” she said.
The wet grass made for a stressful start to the game, according to Elizabeth Stophel ’28. “It definitely made us frantic at first, figuring out how to play with that,” she said.
The only Eph goal of the game, scored by Carrel, was shot right before the two-minute mark. After the goal, the Ephs dialed down their intensity, which allowed the Mules to score in the 37th minute. “I think that [the opening goal] helped momentum, but I think it also made us feel like, ‘Oh, we’re winning. We don’t need to score another,’” Carrel said.
This mindset only pushed the Ephs away from the aggressive style of play that earned their goal. “We got a lot more stressed and played a lot more defensively than we needed to,” Carrel said. “We could have attacked more and played our style, which is pass and move, but we got frantic.”
The Mules pushed the Ephs hard during the team’s more conservative stretch, but goalkeeper Margaret Huelin ’26 defended most of the onslaught from the Mules with five saves, including one highlight-reel play in the second half. “She made an insane save,” Carrel said. “It was like a 1v1. I thought that the girl really should have scored it, but Margaret saved us.”
Despite Huelin’s valiant effort, the Ephs’ defense alone could not secure them the victory. Neither team scored in the second half, and the match finished in a draw.
Restless after the tie, the Ephs brought the confidence they lacked on Saturday into the next evening. “[On Sunday] I feel like we played our game more and were more settled,” said forward/midfielder Maya Lloyd ’29. “We were combining well, super creative, executing, whereas [yesterday], it was more chaotic and messy.”
This focus helped the Ephs secure two goals in the first half of the game, one by Carrel and one by Lloyd. “I think that yesterday we had a lot of chances that we didn’t capitalize on, and I think today we didn’t have as many chances, but we did manage to finish two of them and win the game,” Carrel said on Sunday.
Stophel, who assisted every goal scored over the weekend, was lauded by her teammates. “She’s a nightmare on the right side… She’s super, super speedy and people can’t guard her,” Lloyd said.
This support for their teammates and strong sense of team culture was central to the Ephs’ success, according to Lloyd. “A lot of our cohesiveness as a team comes from loving each other as people and not just soccer players,” she said. “And that allows you to play with confidence because you’re not afraid of making a mistake and someone holding it against you because you know they love you for who you are.”
This camaraderie extends off of the field, too, with several alums attending this weekend’s games. “I think it just goes to show how much people love this team,” Lloyd said. “You’re willing to come back and drive many hours just to be back with your teammates.”
Next week, the Ephs take on the Bates Bobcats (3-2-2, 0-2-1 NESCAC) and the University of Southern Maine Huskies (4-5) in Lewiston, and Gorham, Maine.
