Down one in the 61st minute, the University of North Carolina-Wilmington needed a goal or a rainstorm to salvage the game. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, neither came in their 3-2 loss to the College of William and Mary (6-3-1) Friday night.
Despite a disjointed pace to game and wet field conditions, the Tribe played brilliantly for the first 30 minutes. Fifteen minutes into the match junior midfielder Krissy Vorndore played a cross into the box, which a UNCW defender deflected into the goal, giving the Tribe an early lead.
“Dani Collins chipped it over the defenders head and I ran up the side,” Vornadore said. “I meant to cross it, so I drove it across and drove it off the defender’s foot [into the goal].”
The College struck again when freshman forward Diana Wiegel netted her first career goal in the 30th minute to push the Tribe’s lead to 2-0. Then the game turned.
The Tribe’s crisp passing and precise touches on the ball faded away as the match turned into a physical contest, featuring volleys back and forth between the two teams.
The change in style allowed UNCW back Heather Frohlich to score in the 33rd minute, and the Seahawks kept the Tribe close until the 54th minute. That’s when junior forward Kellie Jenkins scored her fifth goal of the season off an assist from seniors Danielle Collins and Meredith Brown.
UNCW forward Kelly Renkin added a goal in the 61st minute, but it was Seahawks’ last goal of a second half, which saw UNCW outshoot the Tribe 5-4. Senior goalie Meghan Walker had three saves to help preserve the College’s first CAA victory of the season.
“We were very inconsistent,” Head Coach John Daly said. “[After] we scored our second goal, I thought our possession was way too erratic. We let them back in the game.”