William and Mary 5, Davidson 3
After two resounding losses to Northwestern and Radford last weekend, William and Mary (2-3) bounced back Friday with an impressive 5-3 victory over previously undefeated Davidson (4-1) at Busch Field in Williamsburg.
The Tribe’s victory was aided by a dominating performance by sophomore forward Ashley Kyle, who notched the first two goals of her career in the second half. She also added an assist in the first period.
“This was a break out game for her,” Head Coach Peel Hawthorne ’80 said. “I saw her making plays out there today that I hadn’t even seen her make in practice.”
Senior goalkeeper Camilla Hill also exhibited sold play, recording 10 saves including a swat of a critical penalty stroke in the second half.
After a goal by Davidson in the 18th minute, senior midfielder Elizabeth Loudy answered by scoring on a pass from Kyle. The Wildcats would regain the lead 2-1, but not for long.
Senior defender Danielle Scissom rifled a shot into the back of the cage past a diving keeper, allowing the College to knot the score at 2 just before halftime.
This momentum carried through the break. Just two minutes into the second period, Kyle deflected a shot from senior midfielder Erica Eng past the Davidson keeper. With their first lead of the game, the College kept applying the pressure.
A pair of goals by Kyle and sophomore defender Maria Caro in the 41st and 44th minutes gave the Tribe a 5-2 lead which would be enough to put the game away.
Nevertheless, Hawthorne warned that the match could have been much closer.
“We were lucky Davidson didn’t convert some opportunities,” Hawthorne said. “There were some defensive mistakes that they failed to capitalize on.”
Offensively, however, the Tribe looked to be in sync, scoring five goals against a stingy Davidson defense. Kyle credits the College’s success to a larger presence and better communication from the midfielders.
“It’s all about shooting the ball,” Kyle said. “Once we starting shooting, the ball started going in.”
The Tribe hopes to keep the winning streak alive when it takes on the University of Pennsylvania at 3 p.m. on Busch Field.
