The following article was previously published on The Flat Hat’s website during the week of Oct. 23. However, due to an unforeseen technological glitch, it was removed from the website for a period of time and was re-uploaded today, Nov. 8.
Friday, Oct. 20, William and Mary field hockey (7-8, 4-2 CAA) defeated Monmouth (10-5, 4-1 CAA) 3-2 at Busch Field in Williamsburg, Va.
Tribe field hockey’s victory placed them second in CAA standings, one slot behind the Hawks, and secured the team a spot in the 2023 CAA tournament.
With six offensive penalty corners and seven shots on goal, the Tribe’s recipe for success was capitalizing on quick rebounds and scoring opportunities.
Though Monmouth junior forward Sofia Fouces — who leads the CAA in points and goals — scored in the second minute, Tribe field hockey bounced back, scoring two goals in the third and sixth minutes, respectively.
Junior forward Kellen Richbourg scored William and Mary’s first goal, receiving the ball from senior midfielder Jayden Moon and shooting from the right side of the circle. The equalizer marked Richbourg’s first goal for the Tribe.
Fifth-year forward Lauren Curran scored the Tribe’s second goal of the match on a reverse hit. Sophomore midfielder Olivia Stocks assisted the goal, passing the ball to Curran from the right side of the circle.
Scored by Curran again, the Tribe’s third goal — which head coach Tess Ellis described as a “perfect play” — came in the 38th minute during an offensive corner. Assisted by fifth-year defender Audrey Domovich, who sweeped the ball at the top of the circle, Curran tipped the ball over Monmouth freshman goalkeeper Jessie Eiselin and into the goal.
“We knew that we would have a huge opportunity to get shots on cage on penalty corners, so we were really working to put pressure on the goalkeeper and get some rebounds,” Ellis said.
Defensively, senior goalkeeper Maddie George saved five of Monmouth’s seven shots on goal. The Hawks did not score any goals on its four offensive penalty corners.
Assisted by Monmouth freshman midfielder Lauren Relik and scored by Fouces, the Hawks’ second goal came in the 18th minute.
With five minutes left in the game, Monmouth pulled Eiselin for a player advantage, eventually earning two penalty corners in the 57th and 60th minutes, respectively. George saved Fouces’ attempt for a hat trick in the 57th minute, and Monmouth freshman defender Anna Moors’ shot fell wide under defensive pressure in the 60th minute.
Ellis identified areas for improvement under high-pressure defensive situations.
“Them pulling a goalkeeper is a big play for them, which means we needed to step up our defending,” Ellis said. “We’ve just got to be confident that we have the ability to match up anybody.”
Tribe field hockey’s victory marked the first time since 2021 the team made it to the CAA Tournament. Last year, William and Mary tied 3-3 in CAA games to Northeastern and Drexel, but ultimately did not qualify due to a lower goal differential.
“It’s a better feeling that we qualified ourselves and not sitting on a bench waiting for somebody to win or lose,” Ellis said. “It’s a confidence builder if you do it by yourself.”
Though Tribe field hockey lost 3-2 to La Salle (12-4, 5-1 A-10) at Busch Field on Oct. 22, the team hopes to gain momentum in the final regular season games as it enters the CAA tournament.
William and Mary will face Queens University of Charlotte (0-15, 0-0 ASUN) on Friday, Oct. 27 at Busch Field in Williamsburg, Va.