William and Mary lost in a landslide to Colonial Athletic Association rival Towson 22-12 April 14. The Tribe entered the game fresh off an exhilarating overtime win against Delaware, the College’s first CAA victory since the 2016-2017 season.
The Tigers’ efficient offensive gave them an edge, and they outshot the Tribe 37-22 over the course of the game. The Tigers not only registered more shots on goal than the College, but also earned 18 draw controls for the Tribe’s 17 and 20 ground balls as opposed to the College’s 13.
Despite being down by as many as seven goals in the beginning of the second half, the Tribe managed to fight its way back, making the score 14-10 on the backs of three unanswered goals. However, Towson was not rattled and quickly responded with an 8-2 run of their own to close out their victory.
Despite this, the Tribe’s individuals, outscored on average by Tigers players, continued to put up strong numbers. Freshman defender Starr Howard earned seven draw controls, expanding her current single-season record to 74. Freshman midfielders Belle Martire and Lauren Russell tallied three goals each, marking Martire’s third hat trick of the past four games.
Veterans played a role offensively as well, with junior Meredith Hughes and senior attacker Maddie Torgerson notching two goals apiece.
However, the offense also struggled with consistency, turning the ball over to Towson 19 times. Additionally, the Tribe took only 8 free position shots, due to the Tigers’ stout defense.
The College will continue CAA play Sunday, April 21 when it takes on James Madison at home.