The nationally ranked No. 17 Hamilton College Continentals lost 2-0 to the No. 14 Wesleyan University Cardinals in a 2021 NESCAC Women's Soccer Championship semifinal on Saturday afternoon at Amherst College's Hitchcock Field. 

The Continentals are ranked third in the region by the NCAA and are now 13-2-2 overall. Hamilton was the No. 3 seed for the championship after they finished the regular season in third place with a 7-1-2 NESCAC record.

The Cardinals are ranked second in the region by the NCAA and are now 14-1-1 overall. Wesleyan is the No. 2 seed after they finished the regular season tied for first place with an 8-1-1 NESCAC record. The Cardinals will face off against No. 4 seed Middlebury in the championship final at Amherst on Sunday at noon.

The Continentals recorded a team save and goalkeeper Caity Smith '23 made four. The Cardinals' Sarah Hammond picked up the shutout after Wesleyan's defense held Hamilton to zero shots on goal.

The Cardinals out-shot the Continentals 19-6 including 13-2 in the first half. Caroline Dawson '23 led Hamilton with three shots, Hyla Mosher '23 had two and Olivia Morrow '24 had the other.

Wesleyan's first goal came in the 26^th minute off a throw in on the left side that was played back into a crossing pass that landed in the middle of the box. The pass was headed in just under the crossbar by Grace Devanny.

With about 12 minutes left in the second half the Cardinals' Danielle Soto put the ball into the back of the net but the goal was waved off for being offsides. Two minutes later, Soto found the back of the net again off a cross from the right side of the box towards the middle. She kicked it into the bottom-left corner over a diving Smith with 10:21 remaining.

The NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship selection show is on Monday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. The Continentals are hoping to receive one of the 20 at-large bids available.