MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- Mount Greylock graduate Eric Hirsch Saturday scored in the 57th minute to lead the sixth-seeded Williams College men's soccer team to a 1-0 win over third-seeded Middlbury in the quarter-finals of the New England Small College Athletic Conference tournament.

 

In the 57th minute, Williams' Scatt McDonald struck a free kick into the tightly-concentrated box, where the ball bounced around and landed at the foot of Eric Hirsch, who kicked the ball right toward Panthers keeper Matthew Hyer.

 

However, the ball was wet and slipped through Hyer's hands and into the net for the first and only goal of the match, snapping Middlebury's 490-minute scoreless streak.

 

Williams (9-5-2) netminder Aaron Schein posted a clean sheet without having to make a save, while Matthew Hyer saved four Williams shots.

 

Williams' semifinal opponent will be known after Sunday's remaining matches.

 

Football

CLINTON, N.Y. -- Carter Begel ran for 108 yards and a touchdown, and Bobby Maimaron ran for 97 yards as the Williams football team defeated Hamilton, 27-17, to snap a two-game losing streak.

 

Williams hosts Wesleyan on Saturday for its Homecoming.

 

Men's Cross Country

BOSTON, Mass. -- Williams junior Ryan Cox won the first varsity race of his collegiate career and led Williams to a second-place finish at the NESCAC Championships at Franklin Park.

 

Cox covered the 8-kilometer course in 25 minutes, 27.8 seconds, beating Conn College's Danny Aschale by two seconds. The Ephs finished with 86 points to finish second to league champion Amherst (60).

 

Trinity College junior and Monument Mountain alumnus Weyessa "Ace" McAlister placed 22nd in 22:20.3.

 

Women's Cross Country

BOSTON, Mass. -- Williams' Emma Herrmann placed sixth to help the Ephs finish second at the NESCAC Championships at Franklin Park.

 

Herrman finished the 6K in 22:47.5, and the Ephs finished with 73 points.

 

Middlebury won the team championship with 47 points. Colby's Sophia Gorman won the individual title in 21:54.8.

 

Women's Crew

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- The Williams first varsity boat finished second, just one second behind Marist, in the 3,200-meter Head of the Fish on Fish Creek.