The game might not have been pretty at times, but the end result certainly was. After 60 minutes of football Saturday, the Tribe secured a sloppy, but comfortable, 31-0 victory over Towson, clinching its eighth win of the season and a likely postseason bid.

“You play in this league and get eight wins, I don’t see how they keep you out of the playoffs,” Head Coach Jimmye Laycock said. “But I’m certainly not content right now. We’re not folding it up, that’s for sure.”

Barring any unlikely circumstances, Laycock will be heading to the postseason for the eighth time in his 30-year career to cap the season. But there certainly is still plenty of work to do before then.

With two games remaining in the regular season, a wide-open CAA title race — which will lead to critical postseason seeding — is up for grabs. The Tribe hosts no. 8 New Hampshire Saturday before traveling to no. 4 Richmond a week later.

At stake is a CAA that has four teams currently tied at 8-1. Two more wins would secure the College one of four postseason FCS seeds, guaranteeing critical home games in at least the first two rounds of the playoffs.

“Going into the two biggest games of the year, we’re where we need to be,” junior linebacker Wes Steinman said. “We’re going to have our work cut out for us. We’re going to have to go out and execute and play error-free for sure.”

Currently sitting at 8-1, the College is even with Richmond, Villanova and New Hampshire, each with two games remaining. Richmond has a 6-1 conference mark, while the other three are at 5-1.

Villanova beat Richmond, but lost to New Hampshire. The College suffered an Oct. 3 defeat to Villanova, but can amend that in their final two games. New Hampshire still has to face Maine — a playoff squad a season ago — and the Tribe, while the Spiders host the College in their final contest. Villanova faces a dangerous no. 23 Delaware squad in the final week.

Sound convoluted? It is.

Any one of the four teams can take home the CAA title after what promises to be a wild two weeks. All are virtual locks for the postseason, but the home field advantage guaranteed from winning the CAA championship can make or break a postseason run.

To compound the situation, all four squads are ranked in the top-10 nationally, with three — the no. 5 Tribe, no. 3 Villanova and Richmond — in the top five.

The final two weeks of the College’s season will have a big impact on their postseason chances.

Win two games, and likely enter the postseason as the top team in the country and the no. 1 playoff seed. Win one, and hope for a first-round home game. Lose both, and get ready to hit the road in late November.
No matter what happens, we’ll find out a lot about this Tribe team over the next two weeks.

“It’s tempting [to think about], but we’ve got to take this thing day by day as we’ve done the whole season,” sophomore linebacker Jake Trantin said. “We can’t change now.”

With only a handful of regular season matches remaining for William and Mary, the Tribe squared off against George Mason and James Madison at Kaplan Arena over the weekend. In contention for one of four coveted CAA tournament spots, the pair of games marked a crucial opportunity for the College to strengthen its playoff positioning.

The result was a split, as the College fell to GMU 3-1 Friday night before downing JMU 3-0 Saturday. The victory kept the Tribe in position to qualify for the CAA Tournament with one more needed win to clinch a berth for the third year in a row.

Against George Mason Friday night, the Tribe fell behind 14-7 early in the first set due to four consecutive attacking errors and a number of service errors. The College battled back with nine kills from sophomore hitter Lindsay Kresch — who finished with 16 kills and 13 digs — to eventually tie the set at 21-21 and secure a set point at 25-24. But the Tribe could not finish, handing the first set to the Patriots 28-26.
Helped by eight kills from junior hitter Erin Skipper, the Tribe took the second set 25-23.

But after intermission, the Tribe could not find its form. Despite taking a 13-12 lead midway into the third set, the Tribe fell victim to a 13-3 Patriot run, dropping the third set 25-16.

In the fourth set, the Tribe was unable to reverse the momentum, never leading on its way to dropping the set 25-15 and the match 3-1.

“We just didn’t have any energy,” Skipper said following the loss. “We looked scared, and we have to change that.”

Junior setter Cassie Crumal totaled 39 assists and 10 digs for the Tribe. Senior libero Lindsey Pflugner added 21 digs, and junior middle Ginny Bray recorded a match-high 6 blocks.

Saturday, on senior night, the four members of the class of 2010 were honored before the game – the last for them at the Kaplan Arena. Hitters Bryana Carey and Lauren Powell, blocker Katie McCarney and Pflugner were determined not to let their final home match end in a defeat.

The Tribe came out strong, looking revitalized from the previous night’s loss. Behind four consecutive points from McCarney, the College cruised to a dominant 25-12 first set win.

The second set looked much like the first for the Tribe, who was able to take advantage of JMU mistakes en route to a 25-13 win.

In the third set, the College encountered some resistance from the trailing Dukes, who did not lead in the match until the final set. But the energized Tribe finished off the Dukes 25-21 after a kill from Bray capped a match-point rally, giving the match to the College 3-0.

“There was a much different feel in the locker room,” Head Coach Melissa Shelton said, comparing Saturday’s win to the George Mason match from the night before. “We were more relaxed, and all of our nervousness was out.”

McCarney agreed.

“Everyone was taking care of what needed to be done,” she said.

The Tribe will hit the road to face UNC-Wilmington and Georgia State this weekend attempting to lock up a CAA tournament bid.

With only last-place Drexel positioned between William and Mary and its already secured no. 2 seed in the CAA Tournament, the typical ‘trap’ game unfolded. The Dragons (5-12-1, 1-9-1 CAA) entered the match having given up the most goals in the conference while netting the third fewest. But the Tribe (13-4-1, 8-2-1 CAA) overlooked its opponents lowly credentials, pressing through a shaky first half before notching two second half goals en route to a 3-1 regular season finale victory in Philadelphia Friday night.

“I thought it was a very average [performance],” Head Coach Chris Norris said. “But the good thing is that this is a team that still has enough fire power and experience to win a game when we aren’t at the top of our game … and that is a good position to be in.”

Junior midfielder Nat Baako gave the College a 2-1 lead in the 78th minute. Baako’s goal materialized off the strong individual performance of freshman midfielder Chris Perez, who drew Drexel keeper Alex Reber out of the net before sliding the ball to Baako for the finishing touch.

The victory extends the College’s current unbeaten streak to six matches, as the squad has gone 5-0-1 in that span.

The Tribe struggled through a sloppy first half in which Drexel held an 11-8 shot advantage. Specifically, Drexel’s 4-3-3 caused personnel issues for the College throughout much of the opening frame.

“They played with three in the middle and were very active and mobile,” Norris said. “It wasn’t anything that we hadn’t seen. Our guys just didn’t solve problems very well. We didn’t communicate, and as a result, they were able to have a lot of possession.”

Senior midfielder Price Thomas gave the Tribe the early lead in the eighth minute off of a feed from senior forward Andrew Hoxie. After Hoxie slipped the ball through Drexel’s defense, Thomas rolled a low shot past Reber for his seventh goal of the season.

“I felt like we weren’t that sharp to start with, and I thought, ‘this is going to be the worst thing possible for us,’” Norris said of his team’s early lead. “It was going to be easy for us to overlook Drexel. And I think they were all trying to stay focused, but when we got the early goal we definitely took our foot off the gas a little bit, and we felt like it was going to be easy, and it wasn’t. Drexel played very well, and for the first half they were the better team.”

The Dragons evened the score in the 29th minute off a 25-yard blast from Nathan Page. The score remained level at 1-1 for the next 49 minutes before Baako’s second goal of the year.

Hoxie added his CAA-leading 10th goal of the season in the 84th minute to seal the 3-1 margin. The senior also leads the CAA in assists with 10.

Next up for the College is the CAA Tournament, which will be held at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington for the second consecutive year. The Tribe’s opening opponent Friday night is Northeastern.

Men’s swimming and diving

Underclassmen will prove key for the Tribe, as Director of Swimming and Head Coach Matt Crispino leads a talented, but young squad into the 2009-2010 season.

Last season’s 4th place conference finish set the bar high for this year’s squad, which currently stands 3-1 after a close loss to Old Dominion over the weekend. Seeking to build on their previous success, Crispino said the team’s main goal is to place in the top three at CAA championships. However, the Tribe will face stiff competition from perennial contenders Delaware, Old Dominion and UNC-Willimington. Individually, Crispino hopes to see a male swimmer qualify to compete at the NCAA championships in March, a feat not accomplished since the 1980’s.

Expectations are high for a versatile batch of incoming freshman Crispino described as “the most talented class in a decade.” These newcomers, together with a strong set of sophomores, have already made a significant splash; 11 of the 12 events won by the Tribe in an Oct. 10 dual meet against Towson were by underclassmen. Through just four meets, freshman Hunter Perrot has compiled 5 individual victories and, against ODU, sophomore Stephen Fay managed to earn victories in the 200, 500 and 1650-meter freestyle.

Crispino also mentioned Kevin Gallagher as another standout the Tribe will look to after the departure of last season’s stars Shawn Matthews and David Mangini. Gallagher, whose time of 45.22 in the 100-meter freestyle is the school record, headlines a sprinting corps that has already amassed multiple victories in both the 200 and 400-meter freestyle relays.

Next up on the schedule for the Tribe is the Terrapin Cup, hosted by Maryland Nov. 19 through the 21.

Women’s swimming and diving

After two consecutive second place finishes, the Tribe enters the 2009-2010 season poised to take aim at their first CAA title since 2007.

Currently 5-1 following a sweep of Old Dominion, James Madison, and Northeastern over the weekend, the veteran-dominated squad seeks to challenge last year’s champion Towson and earn Head Coach and Director of Swimming Matt Crispino his first conference title with the College. Seventeen-time CAA champion and Olympic Trials Qualifier Katie Radloff headlines a deep squad that combines both experience and talented youth.

“Katie is the best swimmer, male or female, ever to go through W&M,” said Crispino.

A two-time CAA Swimmer of the Year, Radloff set the Tribe record for most individual dual-meet victories at 80 this past weekend with victories in the 50, 100 and 200 meter freestyle.

Alongside Radloff, fellow senior and sprint freestyler Lindsay Guers seeks to leave William and Mary with a conference title. A transfer from Florida State, Guers’s times in the 100 and 200 meter freestyle stand second all-time in school history.

All of this figures in to what ought to be one of Tribe women’s swimming’s most memorable seasons.

“This is the strongest team in the history of the program,” Crispino said.

In addition to entertaining championships goals, Crispino noted that he hopes to have multiple swimmers and relays join Radloff to compete at the NCAA Championships in March.

Tennis: Tribe wraps up fall schedules, Juneau dominates Tribe Invite

Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams concluded their fall season Sunday with the women recording three singles victories on the last day of the Kitty Harrison Invitational and the men hosting the fourth annual Tribe Invitational. Women’s junior Lauren Sabacinski defeated 73rd-ranked Jennifer Stevens from Virginia 7-6 (5), 6-3 on the tournament’s final day. Men’s senior Keziel Juneau was named to the Tribe Invitational All-Tournament team, winning the singles flight with a perfect 4-0 mark. Juneau was also named to the Doubles All-Tournament Team, along with freshman Anton Andersson.

Swimming and Diving: Men remain undefeated, Radloff breaks record

Women’s swimming and diving swept the CAA Pod Meet, defeating James Madison, Northeastern and host Old Dominion over the weekend. Senior Katie Radloff led the way, collecting nine wins to set the school record for career dual meet victories. Sophomores Molly Emery and Hailey Hewitt also recorded three individual victories each. The men’s team traveled to Old Dominion, falling to the Monarchs 194-156 in a dual meet. Sophomore Stephen Fay finished first in the 500-m free with a time of 4:41.71 and also helped lead the Tribe to a victory in the 400-m freestyle relay.

Field Hockey: Drew named to first team All-CAA for second consecutive season

Senior Wesley Drew headlined the members of the Tribe named to all-conference teams Friday, as the midfielder was named to the first-team All-CAA team for the second year in a row. Drew, who is the eighth William and Mary player to earn first-team All-CAA honors in back-to-back years, finished the season with three goals and five assists. Sophomore forward Leah Zamesnik earned second-team all conference honors while freshman Maria Caro became the seventh player in Tribe history to be named to the CAA all-rookie team.

With games against no. 9 New Hampshire and no. 1 Richmond looming, it would be understandable for the no. 5 Tribe to have overlooked its Saturday matchup with the struggling Towson University (2-7, 1-5 CAA).
Instead, William and Mary took care of business, blanking the Tigers 31-0 to enter its crucial late-season stretch with a 5-1 conference record and 8-1 overall. With the win, the Tribe extended its winning streak to four games, its best start since 1986.

The College cruised to victory by virtue of a solid offensive performance and an imposing defensive line. The Tribe, however, offense failed to dominate, despite posting 31 points.

“We made some mistakes; it wasn’t as pretty as we would like it to be, but at this stage of the season, you take them any way you can get them,” Head Coach Jimmye Laycock said. “Getting our eighth win was very significant, and getting a shutout was very significant.”

Senior defensive end C.J. Herbert and the Tribe defensive line dominated the line of scrimmage and shut down the Towson offense, allowing just 72 yards on the ground. The College held the Tigers to only 19 yards in the third quarter, effectively sealing the game’s outcome.

“We were just trying to shut down whatever they came at us with,” junior linebacker Wes Steinman said. “We take a lot of pride in the fact that we shut down the run. We always try to make them one-dimensional, and if we can succeed at that, we can do pretty well.”

The secondary also had a standout day, with sophomore linebacker Jake Trantin and sophomore cornerback Terrell Wells each contributing an interception.

The College’s offense got off to a slow start with several miscues and missed opportunities but quickly recovered behind the strong play of sophomore tailback Jonathan Grimes, who finished the day with 91 yards on 21 carries.

Although senior quarterback R.J. Archer took some time to get comfortable, he eventually regained his rhythm with a series of long completions to senior tight end Rob Varno. The senior then capped a long, methodical, 18-play drive with an 8-yard touchdown scramble to provide the first touchdown of the contest.

Following a Towson three-and-out, the Tribe again marched down the field. Grimes pounded in a two-yard score to give the College a 17-0 advantage heading into halftime.

After the break, the Tribe offense continued to institute a healthy mix of running and passing plays. In the third quarter, senior wideout Eric Robertson put the Tribe up 24-0 with a 25-yard touchdown reception, his first career score. In the final period, junior tailback Courtland Marriner provided another seven points from a two-yard run with one minute remaining.

While the College offense slowed its pace in the second half, the defense refused to yield. Just as Towson put together its first meaningful offensive drive of the day, Wells robbed the Tigers by intercepting quarterback Tommy Chroniger at the goal line, sealing the shutout.

“The thing I like most about this team, is we come off a win like this, and in the locker room, not everybody is going crazy,” Archer said. “We could have done better in some areas. I think we can build on this going forward.”

The win kept the College squarely in the thick of the congested FCS playoff picture, with two weekends remaining in the regular season.

“I think that it’s very good that we are playing big games in November,” Laycock said. “It’s what you always strive to do; when November rolls around, you always want the games to count for something. It’s exciting to be in the hunt.”

The Flat Hat is live in the Zable stadium press box with updates, analysis, news and more as the College takes on the Tigers.

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