Sunday, Oct. 19, William and Mary field hockey (1-12, 0-3 CAA) celebrated senior day and took on No. 3 nationally ranked Virginia (11-1, 5-1 ACC) at Busch Field in Williamsburg, Va. The Cavaliers started slow, remaining scoreless through the first quarter despite controlling possession and game pace. In the 17th minute, the Cavaliers finally broke through with a strong push shot from UVA sophomore forward Catalina Quinteros.
Out of the halftime break, the Cavaliers continued playing with intensity, switching from a sideline-driven attack to utilizing passing into the top of the circle. This proved successful for Virginia in the 31st minute when graduate student midfielder Suze Leemans perfectly placed an aerial shot to bring the score up to 2-0. The Cavaliers continued to dominate, scoring again in the 38th minute on a reverse sweep from the baseline by freshman midfielder Rylee Dennis — earning her first collegiate goal. Virginia scored two more times in the 40th minute, one coming off a corner shot from freshman forward Frederique Vernooij and another goal from Quinteros after a chip shot off the baseline.
However, the Tribe rallied back, gaining momentum and earning its first major scoring opportunity just before the end of the third quarter. The team came out of the break controlling gameplay with the chance to put its offensive schemes to work, energizing the crowd at the potential for a senior day goal. In the 55th minute, the Tribe had its best chance of the day. A long pass up the sideline rolled to junior midfielder/forward Sam Daly behind Virginia’s defense. Finding herself in a 1-on-1 situation, Daly’s shot was kicked away by Cavalier junior goalkeeper Emma Giesting, preserving her clean sheet on the day. Ultimately, the Tribe fell short with a final score of 5-0, unable to get on the board after the Cavaliers’ four-goal run of the third quarter. UVA outshot William and Mary 25 to 5.
Despite the result on the scoreboard, Tribe head coach Tess Ellis saw the game as a strong showing and execution of gameplay. She was pleased with the team’s ability to “hold a [No. 3] in the country in the first 30 minutes” and their persistence despite being down. Ellis also believes the Cavaliers’ ability to adjust their game strategy contributed to the Tribe’s struggles in the third quarter.
“They changed their system a little bit,” Ellis said.
Penalties were a big factor in the match, with the Tribe spending five minutes man down. In the 27th minute, junior forward Josie Mae Gruendel received a green card for dangerous play. In the 39th and 41st minutes, senior midfielder Emme Schwartz and Gruendel received green and yellow cards, respectively.
Ellis described this impact. “[When] you’re playing with ten players, it gets a little hard to keep up with the speed of the game. They have one free player, which killed us sometimes,” she said.
Sunday’s game also served as an opportunity to recognize seniors for their commitment to the program over their careers. Fans attended a brief ceremony at the start of the game, recognizing each senior’s career achievements and plans. The Tribe recognized six graduating players: senior defender Amelia Morgan, senior forward Natasha Browning, graduate student defender Ellie Taylor, senior defender Eme Schmittel, senior midfielder Erin Griffin and Schwartz. All six players recognized made a start in the game and helped the Tribe get off to a positive start in the first quarter.
Postgame, Ellis reflected upon their impacts on the program.
“They’ve really stepped up to the challenge and put that load on their back to say, we’ve sort of got to get the next generation up and running so we can be successful to win another championship,” Ellis said.
Ellis also acknowledged the difficulty of transitioning from being a part of a Coastal Athletic Association championship-winning team in 2023 to a young team trying to find their identity.
While the Tribe is on the back half of their schedule and out of CAA playoff contention, a number of crucial matches remain: conference play against Hofstra (7-8, 0-3 CAA) and Drexel (9-6, 2-1 CAA), and a rivalry match against Richmond (9-6, 4-1 A10). Ellis is optimistic that the Tribe’s difficult schedule up to this point — facing four national top 25 teams — will have prepared it to play tough and continue to persevere, a trait she believes is embedded in the Green and Gold’s field hockey program.
