TRIBE 1, GEORGIA STATE 2
One win shy of his 300th career victory, College of William and Mary Head Coach John Daly dismissed the special significance surrounding Sunday’s match at Georgia State University.
“It would mean more to me to win the game,” Daly said after Friday night’s home match with University of North Carolina-Wilmington.
Perhaps the usually verbose coach foresaw his team’s struggles, as the Tribe (6-4-1) lost to Georgia State 2-1 Sunday in Atlanta.
Senior forward Claire Zimmeck headed in the Tribe’s first goal in the ninth minute of the match off an assist from senior back Abby Lauer. Although the Tribe attempted 24 shots during the match compared to Georgia State’s 15, Zimmeck’s goal would stand alone in the College’s first-ever defeat at the hands of the Panthers, which dropped the Tribe to 1-1 in the conference.
Georgia State goalkeeper Heidi Blankenship recorded 12 saves on the match. Blankenship combined with the Panther defense to stop the Tribe cold on seven consecutive shots between the 50th and 55th minutes.
The Panthers netted their goals in the 79th and 83rd minutes. The first came on a flick in the box from forward Lindsay Mortellaro, and the second on a shot from forward Kate Harbrueger.
TRIBE 3, UNCW 2
Friday night the Tribe continued a recent streak of scoring early in matches when junior midfielder Krissy Vornadore scored in the 15th minute on the way to a 3-2 victory over UNCW — its 16th consecutive win against the Seahawks.
Despite the disjointed pace of the game and wet field conditions, the Tribe played well for the first 30 minutes. Vornadore’s goal came when she played a cross into the box which a UNCW defender deflected into the goal to give the Tribe an early lead.
“[Senior midfielder] Dani Collins chipped it over the defender’s 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 the Seahawks’ last goal of the 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,” Daly said. “[After] we scored our second goal, I thought our possession was way too erratic. We let them back in the game.”
The Tribe’s next contest is slated for Friday night when the College travels to Newark, Del. to face the University of Delaware. The College has won four of its last five matches against the Blue Hens.