Saturday, Sept. 1, 25th-ranked William and Mary faced off against No. 3 Duke at Busch Field in Williamsburg. The game marked the home opener for the Tribe, which was coming off a 1-0 loss in a scrimmage against Virginia. The Blue Devils (2-0) outmatched the Tribe (0-1) in a 4-0 win.
The first quarter of the game featured equally strong play on both sides. Both the Blue Devils and the Tribe had strong plays and substantial possession of the ball. However, despite a few good opportunities for both teams, the quarter ended with no shots on goal, fouls or corners, and the score remained 0-0.
Going into the second quarter, the College came out with a new physicality and drive. This ultimately led to a foul within the circle by the Tribe two minutes into the second quarter. The Blue Devils were subsequently awarded a corner on which forward Libby Thompson scored, leaving the Tribe trailing by one. The Blue Devils scored once again on another corner just a few minutes later, this time by way of a decisive shot from midfielder Lily Posternak. The Tribe battled back however, fighting off another corner from Duke later in the quarter, keeping the score at 2-0.
After a shot out of bounds from the circle by the Tribe, the Blue Devils earned their fifth corner of the game. On this attempt, Duke came away successful after midfielder Haley Schleicher scored its third unanswered goal. On yet another corner moments later, the Blue Devils’ shot on goal resulted in an impressive save from Tribe sophomore goalkeeper Kimi Jones.
Going into halftime, the Blue Devils led the Tribe 3-0. The third quarter of the game had more aggression and fast-paced play than both of the preceding quarters. However, the frequent shifts in possession and movement up and down the field led to very few viable scoring opportunities for both teams until the end of the quarter.
With one second left, Schleicher put away her second goal of the season on a penalty stroke that was nearly stopped by Tribe senior goalkeeper Morgan Connor. The fourth quarter started with the College trailing Duke 4-0. With 10 minutes left in the game, the Blue Devils were awarded another corner that was ultimately deflected. Though there were some good shots on goal, the final quarter went scoreless, and the game ended with a Tribe loss.
Overall, the Blue Devils’ outing was stronger than the Tribe’s, as they continuously had more shots on goal than the College. Throughout the match, the Blue Devils attempted 17 shots, greatly outmatching the Tribe’s five. The College begins the season with a loss and will travel to next play Old Dominion Friday, Sept. 6 at 5 p.m.
