Middlebury, Vt. - The Williams College Ephs advanced to the New England Smal College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championship Tournament for the seventh straight year with a 2-0 semifinal win over the Trinity College Bantams on Middlebury College's Dragone Field this afternoon.  Trinity, playing in its first NESCAC Semifinals, falls to 12-4 but hopes to be chosen for its first NCAA Division III Championship Tournament as an at-large selection when the field is announced on Monday.  The No. 17-ranked Ephs jump to 12-2-2, avenging a 2-0 loss to Trinity in September, and will meet the host school at noon Sunday with the league title on the line.

Williams had a good look early following a corner kick, but Kristi Kirshe's quick turn-and-shoot shot was saved by Bantam sophomore GK Monica DiFiori (Manhattan Beach, Calif.). Williams' Audrey Thomas nearly gave her team a 1-0 lead nine minutes in, but her blast from the top of the box was tipped over the crossbar by DiFiori. Trinity had a good look of its own in the 20th minute when sophomore forward Alexa Menard (Wallingford, Conn.) received a through-ball from classmate Abbey Lake (Westport, Conn.), but her shot was denied by Hannah Van Wetter.

The Ephs got on the board first at the 23:53 mark, with Crystal Lewin netting her fourth of the year. After a flurry and a series of shots by the Ephs, Lewin gathered a rebound and had an open look at the left side of the net, finishing to put her team up 1-0.  Williams looked to increase its lead early in the second half on a corner kick. Mai Mitsuyama served the ball to Haley Cook, who sent it into the box where Kirshe got a head on the ball. The shot was partially saved by DiFiori and then squirted back to Kirshe, who saw her blast from 10 yards out denied by a diving stop from DiFiori.

The Ephs doubled their lead at the 54:47 mark when Kirshe broke through with her fifth of the season. A partial save was made on a lengthy free kick by Mitsuyama with Kirshe there to head the ball in to give her team a 2-0 advantage.  Trinity was unable to get on the board, despite a good look from Lake late in the game that missed the net.  Williams finished with a 16-7 shots advantage in the contest, holding a 7-2 lead in corner kicks. Van Wetter finished with four saves in goal to earn her eighth shutout of the season, while DiFiori made nine stops for the Bantams.