William and Mary concluded its season Friday with a 2-2 draw against Colonial Athletic Association foe Hofstra in Hempstead, N.Y. The Tribe (4-10-4, 2-5-3 CAA) netted two goals and led late in the game before surrendering a game-tying goal in the 82nd minute.
After scoring three unanswered goals in its home finale the previous week, the College continued to display its offensive firepower Friday, tallying seven shots in the first half and putting Hofstra under pressure early.
The Tribe struck first in the 19th minute when sophomore forward Chris Albiston received a pass in the left side of the penalty box and flashed a strike past Pride goalie Adam Janowski into the far side of the net. The goal was assisted by junior midfielder Chris Perez, one of the Tribe’s most reliable offensive facilitators over the course of the season.
The Tribe’s advantage was short lived, however. Hofstra’s Tyler Botte evened the score with a precise header off Chris Griebsch’s corner kick in the 23rd minute. The shot was one of a barrage from Hofstra’s potent offense, which logged 22 scoring attempts in the match.
The Tribe struck again in the first half when sophomore forward Zachary Montebell broke free of his defender to corral a through ball from Perez. The sophomore pushed the shot past Janowski to give the College a 2-1 lead in the 38th minute.
The Tribe carried its lead into the second half where the two squads exchanged shots for nearly 40 minutes without success. The College’s defense was once again steady, led by junior defender Will Smith and aided by a solid effort from sophomore goalkeeper Alex Harrington, who stopped five shots in the match and withstood an onslaught of attempts by the Pride.
The Tribe’s luck ran out in the 82nd minute when junior midfielder Ben Coffey deflected Griebsch’s corner kick into the net to knot the score at 2-2. The goal deprived the College of a win, and instead, forced overtime.
The two defenses held firm in the 20 minutes of extra time, as the Tribe managed four shots in overtime, and Harrington logged two saves to protect the squad from a heart-breaking loss. Ultimately, neither team was able to convert the clinching goal, ending the match in a 2-2 draw. Hofstra will continue on to the CAA tournament, while the College will miss the tournament for the first time since 2006.
The Hofstra loss concludes an inconsistent year for the Tribe. The College was led by defensive stalwarts such as Smith and a strong campaign by senior Ben Anderson, who led the Tribe in points in the final year of his career at the College.
Despite some rough stretches, the Tribe finished their season in more satisfying fashion, defeating No. 8 Old Dominion late in October and capturing a thrilling senior night victory on Homecoming weekend. The Tribe will return next season with nearly all of its impact players from the 2012 team, and they will hope to improve on this year’s four wins and compete for a CAA tournament berth.
