Finally, sophomore midfielder Mallory Schaffer’s heroics didn’t go to waste.
After scoring two match-leveling goals in a heartbreaking loss to Hofstra Friday night, Schaffer bounced back by netting the game-winner in William and Mary’s 1-0 victory over Northeastern Sunday at Albert Daly Field.
With the victory, the Tribe moves its record to 4-3-1 in the CAA and 8-6-2 overall.
“It was good to get a win, especially after Friday,” Schaffer said. “We were obviously disappointed after a loss like that, and it was tough for the morale of the team. So we tried to keep our heads up and get a win here.”
Schaffer’s score came in the 52nd minute when freshman forward Audrey Barry won possession of the ball at midfield and raced forward before letting off a shot from just outside the 18-yard box. A Northeastern defender deflected the attempt, but sophomore midfielder Cortlyn Bristol was there to gather the rebound. Bristol crossed the ball from the left of the penalty area, finding the head of the diving Schaffer, who tucked the ball inside the near post and past the goalkeeper.
“Cortlyn always serves great crosses … and we’ve been really emphasizing loading the box and getting people in,” Schaffer said. “Luckily the ball got through and I got a piece of it.”
The breakthrough came after a defensive first half in which scoring opportunities were scarce. The closest either team came to scoring in the opening period occurred on a Tribe counter attack in the 30th minute.
Schaffer possessed the ball outside of the 18-yard box and created just enough space to get off a shot while falling down. The ball sailed past the Northeastern goalkeeper, but bounced off the crossbar.
The College came out for the second half with a new sense of offensive urgency, unleashing a flurry of deflected shots in the 49th minute, before Schaffer finally connected in the 52nd minute.
“We came out really hard in the beginning of the game and then kind of slacked off a little bit,” Schaffer said. “At halftime we really needed to pump ourselves up. This was a must win; the rest of our games are must wins.”
The Huskies wouldn’t go down easily, though. Northeastern forward Veronica Napoli got an open look at the goal from the left side of the box, but pushed the shot high and right of the net.
The Huskies kept the pressure on the College’s defense for the rest of the game, but the Tribe wouldn’t crack, and by the end of the match, the College had outshot Northeastern 17-7.
After the game, Assistant Coach Britta Marmon — standing in for Head Coach John Daly, who was suspended due to the red card he received during Friday’s match against Hofstra — said she was proud of her team’s effort.
“Friday night took a lot out of us physically and emotionally, so today was a great team performance,” Marmon said. “[Northeastern is] a good team and they put some pressure on us, but we dealt well with it.”
