After a 4-0-1 start to the season, William and Mary (4-2-1) returned to Williamsburg Sunday, humbled. A pair of losses like the squad experienced this weekend will do that to you.
Friday, the Tribe fell 3-1 to Boston in the Virginia Nike Soccer Classic, before dropping Sunday’s match 4-0 to No. 19 Texas.
“It was extremely [disappointing],” Daly said. “They were two decent teams that we played.”
Coming into the weekend, Texas represented the best test for the College since the Tribe achieved its No.14 ranking. The Tribe stayed with the Longhorns early, entering halftime tied 0-0, but Texas scored four unanswered goals in the second half for the victory.
Senior midfielder Brittany Lane put a shot on goal in the 55th minute, but it would be one of only two shots the College would put on frame for the match. Freshman forward Audrey Barry also let loose a shot in the 36th minute, but it was stopped by Longhorn goalkeeper Alexa Gaul.
“We played well in the first 60 minutes, there was nothing to choose between the two teams,” Daly said. “Then we conceded one [goal] in the first couple of minutes [of the second half] and [our] heads dropped.”
Senior goalkeeper Grace Barnard started Sunday against the Longhorns after sophomore keeper Katherine Yount got the cap Friday versus Boston. Barnard held the Longhorns scoreless in the first half, making all four of her saves in the first period.
All four of Texas’ goals came in the second half, as the Longhorns scored in the 60th, 61st, 71st and 79th minutes.
“It was very, very weak defending,” Daly said. “That was the story of our weekend: poor defending.”
Yount recorded three saves Friday night, but allowed two goals in the first half, including one in the first minute of the match.
Boston forward Lisa Kevorkian scored from the top of the box in the first minute of play, putting the Tribe behind almost from the opening whistle.
“It was very soft defending,” Daly said. “She found space. She received the ball 30 yards out with our nearest defender five yards away from her, which is just not good enough.”
Barry scored the Tribe’s lone goal of the match — and the tournament — in the 64th minute. The freshman beat the keeper to a through ball played into the box from Lane and tapped the ball into an empty net to make the score 3-1 in the second half.
Despite going winless on the weekend, senior back Kaitlin O’Connor and sophomore midfielder Mallory Schaffer were named to the All-Tournament team.
“Both of them give everything they have got every time they are on the field,” Daly said. “We have three or four others who do the same, but we need to have more than that. We need to have 11 players giving everything they’ve got.”
