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Field Hockey: Tribe sweep weekend foes, win third in a row
After a thrilling overtime victory Saturday over Rutgers, William and Mary (3-1) returned to Busch Field Monday to shut out Appalachian State. The College extended its winning streak to three games following yesterday’s performance and is set to face no. 7 Princeton Saturday.
Against the Mountaineers of Appalachian State, the College wasted no time scoring as goals from freshman midfielder Maria Caro and sophomore midfielder Mikala Savaides set the game’s tone within the first five minutes.
In net, junior goalie Carrie Thompson saved five first half shots. Sophomore Camilla Hill relieved Thompson in the second half and made two tremendous kick-saves.
“Both are playing very well,” Head Coach Peel Hawthorne said. “Until someone completely jumps ahead of the other, we will go with it.”
The goalie-by-committee strategy has not rattled the confidence of Thompson.
“My team is more important than anything I do,” Thompson said. “Winning is what matters most.”
On the other end of the field, the Tribe’s offense overwhelmed Appalachian State. Three second half goals from sophomore forward Kelsey Nawalinski, sophomore midfielder Leah Zamesnik and junior midfielder Liz Loudy sealed away the game.
“We certainly had plenty of opportunities,” Hawthorne said. “We should have scored four to five more goals just by tapping the ball in.”
The Scarlet Knights (0-4) proved to be a tougher opponent for the College Saturday. Tribe junior forward Erica Eng scored her first three goals of the season, the last of which was the deciding factor in the overtime victory.
“My first instinct was that I should take the shot so I don’t have to run back down the field and play defense after just coming from playing defense,” Eng said.
Eng and the Tribe tightened their defense in the second half after falling behind 2-0 in the opening 35 minutes.
“[Thompson] gave up two tough goals, but that was the result of defensive errors; we didn’t get back in time,” Hawthorne said.
Following a Rutgers’ goal early in the second half, the College’s relentless pressure inside the Scarlet Knights’ zone paid off. Eng scored her first two goals of the game by tipping in shots from senior forward Wesley Drew and Zamesnik mid-way through the second half to pull the College within one at 3-2.
The equalizer came from Caro. Further benefiting from miscommunication within Rutgers’ defense, junior midfielder Jenna Cinalli then added a goal off a rebound, making it 4-3 with seven minutes left to play.
Eng’s golden goal completed the Tribe’s first hat-trick since Oct. 2003, when Kelly McQuade ’04 and Kelli Duggan ’03 notched three goals each against James Madison in an 8-3 win.
Tribe fever hits College
A message like this bears repeating: The Tribe performed excellently in Charlottesville this weekend as it outplayed a team many considered its better. Our hats are off to Coach Jimmye Laycock and his squad, whose dedication over the past months and years allowed them to be able to deliver this once-in-a-decade win that we will remember for a long time to come.
What a sweet feeling it was when the underdogs carried the game as the clock hit zero. In the pages of this edition of The Flat Hat, we have written much about the Tribe’s rock-solid defense, creative and effective offense and stand-out individual performances that allowed it to capitalize on an opponent who did not show up to play. And we have not been alone in covering this game; Saturday’s performance has drawn national attention, putting our university’s name in some of the most-read papers and most-watched sports shows in the country. We will not repeat all of this praise here, but let us give the team just one more line: The excitement after this season opener has been infectious, and we cannot wait to see where you take us from here.
The players on the field are not the only ones who deserve congratulations for their participation in Saturday’s win. The brimming visitors section was loud, rowdy and enthusiastic. Frankly, we are proud; this kind of fan support is worthy of a much larger school. And even if a few dozen Virginia state police officers were successful in preventing our students from rushing the field after the game, we have found some schadenfreude in the ringing they are still probably hearing in their ears after so many booming rounds of the alma mater.
It was not just students in the visitors section; many alumni and local fans made the trip to Charlottesville as well. Thanks for coming out, and we look forward to watching the rest of the season with you.
In particular, Tribal Fever President Chase Hathaway ’10 and his group should be recognized for their effort at increasing student support for Tribe sporting events. After raising funds with the Student Assembly to subsidize student tickets and transportation costs for the game this weekend, it looks like they are off to a great start. And it was a sheer pleasure to see Hathaway personally leading fans in cheers throughout the game.
Let’s keep this up. This will be a great year.
Some students from across the pond angered by anti-social healthcare
“Don’t talk about politics.” That is what they warn you at international orientation. Yet, whether it’s my long vowel sounds or my quirky British slang, wherever I go people have asked my opinion of American politics as an impartial outsider.Impartial, I’m not so sure. I’ll admit I stayed up until 5 a.m. last November to watch the most recent American presidential election and partied in the streets. But when it comes to discussions of President Barack Obama’s healthcare plans, I’m more than happy to be an outsider.
I knew when I applied to study in America that I was leaving behind the comfort of a welfare state. I was less prepared, however, to find my bank account hemorrhaging and my medical costs still not fully covered. Don’t get me wrong, the student health plan offered by the College of William and Mary is better than anything Google offered me, and I’m sure it will look like a great deal if I get myself mutilated in a car accident or contract some horrible, life-threatening disease. But how likely is this during my short year abroad?
More likely, I’m going to get the flu, break a bone or need a checkup. According to my insurance plan information, in any of these situations I am paying $20 to see a doctor, $15 to $50 for prescriptions, 20 percent of costs incurred at a “preferred provider” and as much as 50 percent if I choose to go elsewhere.
Even more frustrating, my British friend found himself in need of a prescription during the weekend and was forced to pay off-campus costs to fill it. Ten Dollars might not seem much to see a doctor, after all, who doesn’t have $10? That’s not really the point though. Whether the fee is $5, $10 or $50, I can’t help but feel like I’m paying twice, once to my insurance provider and once to my doctor, whom my insurance provider apparently always forgets to pay.
Students I’ve talked to on campus have mixed views on the reforms Obama is suggesting, but the greatest criticisms seem to center around the implicit loss of quality and choice in nationalized healthcare. I can’t begin to explain how much this infuriates me. Your media has picked up on characters like member of Parliament Daniel Hannan, a Tory who rails against the National Healthcare Service, to prove that nationalized healthcare would be the death of the United States. But grant me just a few moments of your time to offer an alternative perspective.
I do not wish to disillusion you — the NHS is far from being a perfect system, and I doubt few would dispute that. As a student, I don’t get to choose which doctor I see and will not be able to attempt to do so until I graduate. But at the same time, British students can see a doctor for a prescription, free of charge. They will run tests, send us to specialists, perform operations, keep us in hospitals as long we need and provide us with whatever long-term treatment we need.
And we don’t pay a penny. We can move jobs or lose jobs and never have to think twice about what would happen to us if we got sick. We may pay for it through our taxes, but we still spend 5 percent less of our GDP on healthcare than America does on private insurance and every person is covered from cradle to grave.
As impoverished students we can choose which hospital to receive treatment from and be treated exactly the same as a CEO or high-powered lawyer would be. Maybe the problem is that a CEO doesn’t want to be treated the same way as an impoverished student, because after all, they can afford so much better. Yet, it’s students on this campus who told me that huge companies own America — that money runs this country. You told me America can’t be changed because money can’t be defeated. Yet ordinary Americans took a chance and elected a man with hope.Maybe you feel no moral obligation toward the 47 million Americans without health insurance or the 40 percent not covered by company healthcare.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter to me, I can run safely back to my socialized healthcare.At least some of you elected Obama because you wanted change, and change is what you are being offered. So maybe if enough people open their minds and take that chance, America can be a little healthier for everyone.
E-mail Lucy James at lmjames@wm.edu.
A call for Labor Day, 365 days a year
Everyone knows what Labor Day means — the end to another summer, just as Memorial Day represents the beginning. However, it seems that every Memorial Day, we are bombarded with pleas to remember why and for whom. We get a day off with pay, but no such fanfare is made for Labor Day. It is meant to be the day we get to spend memorializing the struggle of working Americans, but we don’t. Most of us will not spend the day concerned with rising unemployment, decreasing value of wages and the cutting of benefits; but rather, it is a day like any other at the College of William and Mary — we go to class and socialize. We forget about the struggle of working Americans, the hardship of maintaining a household making $7.25 an hour. This seems to be as unpatriotic — if not more unpatriotic — than forgetting about veterans on Memorial Day.
First federally recognized in 1894, it is on this day that we are meant to celebrate the social and economic contributions of working women and men who continually work at making the United States a strong and prosperous nation, not once-in-a-lifetime furniture sales or the last day the pool is open. It is the average American working in manufacturing, textiles and other industries, who built up the greatness of our country. The U.S. Department of Labor says that Labor Day “constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country.”
This day is dedicated to them and memorializes the personal sacrifices made by members of labor unions in order to secure the safe working conditions and fair employment laws we currently enjoy. It was the work of average Americans, through labor unions, that brought us the 40-hour work week, child labor laws, the eight-hour work day and the concept of minimum wage. They are the true heroes of our democracy. Thus, Labor Day is meant to remember and celebrate the Americans who created the backbone of our economy and the backbone of our society.
Along with memorializing the past successes of working Americans and labor unions, on Labor Day it is important that we recognize our connection to one another. We must recognize that our interests lie with the interests of those serving us dinner, tending the campus grounds or even those cleaning the dormitory bathrooms. According to the Department of Labor, states with higher rates of unionization have lower rates of poverty, crime and failing schools.
Unfortunately, Virginia has one of the lowest rates, with only 4 perent employed union members. In a study published in the Journal of Labor Research, researchers found that a large union presence in an industry or region can raise wages even for non-union workers. It is clear that when people band together, we can achieve real social good for everyone — exactly what Labor Day is about. It is about recognizing that we have a common interest: to work together and ultimately forge a better society.
So, what would it look like to observe Labor Day properly? A federal holiday that actually applied to the working class would be nice, but it would also look like respecting the person on the other side of the counter, telling them “thank you” and seeing how his or her day is going. American people working long hours for low wages deserve so much more respect than we give them, not just on Labor Day, but 365 days a year.
It would also look like contacting our legislators and representatives in Richmond and in Congress and telling them they need to represent the interest of hard-working Americans. Those are the stories that need to be told, and those are the people who make up a fully functioning democracy.
E-mail Rachel Anderson and Alex Leach at apleac@wm.edu.
Women’s soccer: College beats Utah, extends winning streak to three
Updated Tuesday Sept. 8: Soccer America ranks the Tribe no. 22 in the country in its latest poll.
William and Mary (3-1) defeated no. 21 Utah (4-2) 3-1 Sunday with the help of a couple of easy goals from senior forward Kellie Jenkins and junior back Katy Winsper. The win was the College’s third straight on the season, and followed a 1-0 overtime upset of no. 17 BYU on Friday.
“I didn’t think we played well in the first half,” Head Coach John Daly said. “They really gifted us a goal then we slacked our defense and then they scored and then they gifted us a goal again.”
The first goal was Jenkins’, and it came in the 15th minute off a through ball from senior midfielder Krissy Vornadore. Utah goalie Hannah Turpen badly misjudged the resulting shot from Jenkins and the College took an early 1-0 lead.
Jenkins’ goal was not the only mistake Turpen would make in the first half. In the 23rd minute, with the score knotted at 1-1, Winsper took a free kick from 18 yards out that bounced over Turpen’s head for Winsper’s first goal of the season and the second of her career.
“It was very important because it really got the momentum on our side,” Daly said of Winsper’s goal. “There was a decent sized crowd here and [Utah] last played on Wednesday while we played on Friday, so we needed to hang in there.”
The momentum carried into the second half for the Tribe. After emphasizing tight play in the midfield at half time, the College marked up on the Utes’ athletic forwards and limited Utah to a total of seven shots on goal. Utah was credited with 26 total shots for the game as compared to the Tribe’s 8, although many of those shots landed far from the goal.
“The shots were ridiculous. The shots were going 15 yards wide,” Daly said. “If you look at the shots on goal, the two teams match up pretty evenly, they had seven shots on goal and we had five. Most of their shots though, [junior goalie] Grace [Barnard] would just watch the ball go wide or over the goal.”
Shot totals aside, Sunday was the third straight quality match for Barnard, who had four saves on the night. Barnard has now allowed only two goals in her last three matches.
The defense has also been impressive, especially due to the absence of junior back Kaitlin O’Connor. O’Connor, a captain and preseason All-CAA selection, did not play in either of the Tribe’s last two matches due to team related issues.
Whether O’Connor returns for the match Wednesday against the University of California-Santa Barbara still remains to be seen according to Daly.
Nevertheless, the Tribe returned home Sunday night with two big out-of-conference wins, which will be important when the College hopes to make a long run come tournament time.
“We’ve got work to do but I think we handled ourselves very well this weekend,” Daly said. “We’re learning each game and a tough schedule early on will help us settle in for the long haul.”
Hoo’s your daddy?
The final scene told the story: As the waning minutes of the College’s season-opening road contest against Virginia ticked down, what had once been a hostile Scott Stadium crowd of 54,000 was reduced to a fraction of that number. They were clustered predominantly in the southwest corner of the field, dressed not in the orange sundresses and ties of the Cavalier faithful, but in the green and gold of the Tribe. And they were going crazy.
For the first time in 23 years, an upstart Tribe squad had defeated their larger in-state rivals in a game that will resonate far beyond Williamsburg. As the College jogged off the Cavaliers’ home field to celebrate with their fans, the clock hit zero with the scoreboard locked at a decisive 26-14 final score.
“We are incredibly proud of the effort our players put forth tonight,” Head Coach Jimmye Laycock said. “We showed poise, and our players were extremely smart in the decisions they made. We played very hard, and it’s a tremendous win for us.”
The victory was the first for the Tribe over an FBS school since upsetting Temple in 1998 and the first over Virginia since a 41-37 victory in 1986.
The game was sealed with two minutes and 39 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and the College nursing a 19-14 lead. As the Cavaliers attempted to put together a last-ditch drive to salvage their season opener, redshirt freshman cornerback B.W. Webb, in his first career start for the Tribe, stepped in front of a Jameel Sewell pass, ripped the ball from a Virginia receiver, and raced untouched into the Tribe end zone. The interception was Webb’s third of the night, the defense’s seventh forced turnover, and clinched the final margin.
“We were in cover two, coach always told me to watch the play and the guy came right into my area,” Webb said. “It’s almost like a dream. Everything happened at the right time.”
The play punctuated a night that belonged firmly to the Tribe defense. The College held Virginia to a mere 269 yards of total offense, notching four interceptions and recovering three fumbles. Thirteen of 16 Cavalier possessions ended in either a three and out or a turnover, and Virginia coach Al Groh was forced to use three different quarterbacks in an attempt to generate any semblance of offensive momentum.
That dominance allowed Laycock to utilize a cautious offensive game plan. The coach was content to settle for field goals, eat up the clock, avoid turnovers and wait for the Cavaliers to make mistakes.
“I didn’t want to put us in a bad position, so I played it a little safe,” Laycock said. “We were going to be smart, we ran the draw, ran the trap in some situations. I had a lot of confidence in our defense, and we have a pretty good punter.”
The Tribe got off to a tepid start as Virginia got on the board only three minutes into the first quarter. Cavalier starting quarterback Vic Hall scrambled 34-yards around the right side into the end zone, quickly putting his team up 7-0. After the College answered with a five-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback R.J. Archer to senior tight end Rob Varno, Virginia scored again, with Sewell capping a 10-play, 84-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown run.
But after that point, the Cavaliers would not enter Tribe territory again until their final drive of the game in garbage time.
Meanwhile, the Tribe offense steadily plucked away with field goals.
After a shaky start, senior kicker Brian Pate drilled four consecutive kicks as the College built a 19-14 lead.
From there, it was left to the defense and Webb’s heroics to clinch the win.
The redshirt freshman was far from the only standout for the Tribe.
Senior defensive end Adrian Tracy was a force, repeatedly penetrating the Virginia backfield while recording ten tackles. Linebackers sophomore Jake Trantin and junior Evan Francks were equally active, combining for 16 tackles and recovering three fumbles between them while shutting down the Virginia spread. Punter David Miller was nearly perfect, consistently pinning the Cavaliers deep with eight punts for an average of 44.4 yards. And Archer, while posting seemingly middling numbers in normal context, executed Laycock’s game plan perfectly, completing 23 of 45 passes for 184 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
“The coaches prepared us very well, we lined up well, and we just played,” Archer said. “We were in the right place at the right time, and we made plays when we needed to.”
It was a plan that left the College with a signature win to start its season.
After the game, Laycock summed up his second career win over the Cavaliers next to a loudly celebrating postgame locker room.
“I think we made a name for ourselves, and I think we are going to get everyone’s best shot now,” Laycock said. “We want to be out front. We are going to go back and do the things that got us here.”
Then, in his typically laconic fashion, he allowed a brief moment of enjoyment.
“Well, it’s the best [win] I’ve had today,” he said.
Football: Tribe vs. UVA live blog, TRIBE DOWNS UVA
Tribe vs. UVA live blog:
Postgame: Stay tuned for full postgame coverage.
End of 4th quarter: Chants of “safety school!” and “CAA!” emanate from the Tribe section.
In the waning moments, Virginia has a fourth and 8 at the Tribe 36. The pass falls short and incomplete and R.J. Archer and the Tribe offense will take the field to run out the game clock.
The numbers weren’t pretty for the Tribe offensively, but Laycock’s strategy was to avoid the turnover and the mistake.
Grimes up the middle and the clock runs out.
THE TRIBE HAS BEATEN UVA 26-14. It is the first win over an FBS school for the College since 1998.
2:00, 4th quarter: The stadium has emptied as the Tribe has finished off the Cavaliers, taking a two touchdown lead late in the game. The exception is the Tribe fan sections which is intact, standing and going wild.
A dream performance for B.W. Webb in his first career start: three interceptions, the final one the game clincher. Laycock evidently knew what he was doing in playing conservatively and putting the game in the hands of his defense. Seven forced turnovers later, the College is mopping up the Cav’s in front of a stunned crowd.
The College has held Virginia scoreless since the 7:29 mark of the second quarter, yielding zero red zone trips in that span.
2:39, 4th quarter: B.W. WEBB GETS HIS THIRD INTERCEPTION OF THE NIGHT AND TAKES IT TO THE HOUSE! The redshirt freshman steps in front of a Verica pass and is untouched for 45 yards, finishing right in front of an exploding Tribe fan section.
3:00, 4th quarter: Virginia takes over at their own 40 and the Tribe needs to do one thing: keep the Cav’s out of the end zone. The defense has been dominant all gone and they will have to continue that now.
Two short plays up the middle bring up 3rd and 5. A stop here would be gigantic, although I would have to believe the Cav’s would go for it.
4:00, 4th quarter: A big third and 8 and Laycock chooses to run it again, forgoing the clinching touchdown to set up a field goal to widen the lead. Pate nails it to take the lead to 19-14.
It’s still a long way from being over, though. A Cavalier touchdown would give them the lead and the College seems ill-prepared to answer offensively.
5:00, 4th quarter: With Virginia beginning to threaten for the first time in a long time, the defense comes through with another forced turnover. The College takes over at the UVA 36 after Francks recovers another Verica fumble. A huge play, and the Virginia crowd is starting to stream out of the building.
This game is still a long way from being over and the College needs a touchdown to ice it. Archer gets off to a good start scrambling 23 yards to inside the Cavalier 15.
“Coach Groh needs to go!” shouts a man in front of the press box.
7:00, 4th quarter: Laycck continues to play it safe as the Tribe goes three and out. The offense has fizzled in the second half under ultra-conservative play calling from the sidelines. Laycock is playing to avoid the turnover and the mistake instead of trying to score more. We’ll see whether it pays off.
UVA takes over at their own 20 after another good Miller punt. Two quick takedowns bring up third and six. The Tribe defense continues to play incredibly from top to bottom, there has been nothing open downfield, while the line has gotten pressure on the Cavalier quarterback-du-jour.
On third down, Verica hits a receiver down the sideline for a 15-yard gain on a play the Cavaliers desperately needed.
10:00, 4th quarter: The College stops the Cav’s for three plays, bringing up the play of the game to this point: fourth and inches at midfield. The Tribe d-line lights up the Virginia front and drops Verica in the backfield. Humongous play and the Tribe takes over on downs at midfield. The stadium boos even louder as the Tribe section goes crazy.
11:00, 4th quarter: A three and out for the Tribe now as both teams have done little in this second half offensively. Archer eats it on third and five and it appears that Laycock is content to prevent the turnover and let his defense do the rest. Another booming punt from Miller out of his own end zone gives UVA the ball at their 40. Miller has been fantastic this game.
In a desperate attempt to get something going offensively, Al Groh goes to his third quarterback, junior Marc Verica to start the next series.
13:00, 4th quarter: Laycock told me midweek that he was unsure of what the UVA option consisted of, never having seen it. That response seems unlikely now that the Tribe seems to have figured out exactly what the Cavalier option is. They force another quick three and out, bottling up Sewell for a loss on second down and forcing a lame, one yard gain on third and long. The UVA crowd has turned on their team now, booing vociferously on nearly every busted play. The large and vocal Tribe contingent is getting more rabid by the minute, however, breaking the silence of this depressed stadium.
Tribe ball at their own 12. First and 10.
14:00, 4th quarter: Archer opens the final quarter by throwing a pick downfield on third and 30. However, the ball is caught at midfield, so the end result is virtually identical to that of a punt. Sewell and the Cav’s take over needing a big drive to get back into this game.
End of 3rd quarter: The College is now 15 minutes of gametime away from pulling the biggest upset in years. They lead the Cavaliers 16-14 in a game they have dominated.
End of 3rd quarter: The game has turned sloppy as a pair of holding penalties back the College up to their own 11 yard line, bringing up first and 29. Grimes loses a yard on a carry and it’s 2nd and 30. However, the Tribe enters the fourth quarter up 16-14 as the clock winds down.
1:00, 3rd quarter: Virginia continues to shoot itself in the foot. On third and six, the Cavalier defense puts 12 men on the field to stop the Tribe. Good strategy: unless the ref notices it. He does, but UVA stops the Tribe, anyway.
However, not content to get the ball back, the Cav’s manage to run into the punter, David Miller. The penalty gives the ball back to the Tribe and a first down at their own 30. An unbelievably bad performance by the Wahoos.
3:00, 3rd quarter: Virginia drives up to midfield, before the College comes up with a big stop on 3rd and 3, getting to Sewell in the backfield. The Cavalier punt goes down to the Tribe 18, where the College will take over. If you told any Tribe fan they would have the ball and the lead with 3 minutes left in the third quarter, they would have been ecstatic earlier today. This upset is seeming like a real possibility at this point.
5:00, 3rd quarter: Internet issues have knocked me out for a few minutes, but a lot has happened in the last 6 minutes of gametime. After the teams traded possessions, the Tribe punted down to the UVA 6, where the Cavalier return man fumbled. Dante Cook jumped on the loose ball for the Tribe, giving the College first and goal at the nine. Three plays later, they kicked a 21-yard field goal to take a 16-14 lead.
The amount of miscues for Virginia this game has been staggering. I would be surprised with these mistakes from a CAA opponent, much less an ACC squad. However, the athletic ability of the Cav’s is keeping them in the game. Despite their struggles, it could only take one dynamic Jameel Sewell run to shift momentum back to the Cav’s.
11:00, 3rd quarter: Archer hits MacAulay for a first down on third and medium, jumpstarting the Tribe drive out to the 39, but it stalls after a third and 8 run play comes up short. David Miller rugby kicks it down to the 27, where UVA will take over.
Official attendance tonight: 54,587
14:00, 3rd quarter: The College comes out strong defensively, forcing a quick three and out. The Tribe gets the ball back with a chance to drive to take the lead. B.W. Webb with catches the punt at the Tribe 25 and immediately is taken down.
Halftime: It’s tough what to make of this contest at the half. On the one hand, the Tribe has left nine points on the board and could easily be leading this game by multiple scores. At the same time, UVA has looked horrible, giving away four turnovers and sacrificing at least seven points of their own.
What is incontrovertibly clear, is that the Tribe has, at worst, played even with the Cavaliers and, at best, grossly outplayed them. The College defense has been active all evening, swarming to the ball and allowing Virginia very little offensively, not to mention forcing four turnovers. After a rough start, the offense has been solid as well, although unable to finish drives. Overall, the College has been the better team this half.
This game is going to come down to halftime adjustments and, in that area, you have to like the Tribe’s chances. Al Groh has been ripped mercilessly in Charlottesville for his in-game coaching for years, while the Tribe’s Jimmye Laycock is one of the best coaches at any NCAA level.
If things hold level, the College will have an outstanding chance at pulling out one of their biggest wins ever. As it stands now, they are possibly unlucky not to be leading.
End of 2nd quarter: Archer throws it away again, bringing up a final field goal attempt for the College with 1.9 seconds left. Pate drains it, bringing the College to within one at the half.
UVA 14, Tribe 13.
7.9 seconds remaining, 2nd quarter: The Tribe completes for 13 yards to move into UVA territory and then picks up 10 more penalty yards after a personal foul, late hit on UVA. It came against an illegal shift for the College leading to only a 10 yard gain.
Grimes takes it down to the 17 and Tribe take their last timeout at 2nd and 3 with 21.9 seconds remaining. Archer sneaks up the middle on a draw and picks up 8 yards to the nine. An offside penalty is declined, allowing the College time to call a play. Archer smartly wings it out of the end zone after nothing develops on the ensuing play. 2st and goal at the 9 with 7.9 seconds left and UVA takes a timeout with the clock stopped.
0:47.8 remaining, 2nd quarter: UVA attempts to put together a drive to put more points on the board before halftime. Sewell fumbles a snap at midfield and the College recovers the fumble. That’s four turnovers forced now for the Tribe. Huge play and this UVA crowd is getting very upset.
1:00, 2nd quarter: Archer tries to hit Grimes over the middle, who can’t come up with it and inadvertently tips it up into the air. It goes straight to a UVA defender who can’t catch an easy ball which fell in his hands. That’s two easy picks the Cav’s have dropped while the Tribe has caught both of their’s. Not what you would expect from a FCS-FBS matchup.
On third and 8, Archer completes to Hill who comes up a yard short. On fourth and 1, the Tribe line up to go for it, before calling a timeout. After emerging, the College lines up in the shotgun this time, but another false start penalty pushes them back bringing out Pate again for a 42-yarder. Pate misses another one. That’s nine points the College has left on the board.
This is very uncharacteristic from Brian Pate and it takes away a decisive advantage the College had entering this game.
2:00, 2nd quarter: Vic Hall returns for the Cav’s and promptly is forced to throw it away after running for his life on the first play of the drive. On the second, he takes it up the middle for 6 on a draw play. Adrian Tracy on the stop in pursuit. He’s having a monster game, all over the UVA backfield.
On the next play, the ball is punched out of Hall’s hands and Evan Francks recovers for the Tribe at the UVA 40. Might have been Tracy on the strip, crowded play, couldn’t tell. Either way it’s the third turnover forced by the Tribe defense in this half.
3:00, 2nd quarter: A couple short plays set up 3rd and 5 for the Cav’s at their own 31. On third down, B.W. Webb comes up with a tipped pass for his second interception of the day. It’s also the first career start for the redshirt freshman. Quite a debut.
Archer hits Varno 19 yards downfield and the Tribe is quickly right back down to the UVA 26. Terrence Riggins bulls inside the 20 and its 3rd and 8 at the 19. Archer can’t complete it to MacAulay, but he had Chase Hill wide open a few yards farther downfield. Pate comes out for a third time to attempt a 40-yarder. Pate drills this one as UVA jumps offsides. Laycock declines the penalty. Smart move.
UVA 14, Tribe 10.
5:00, 2nd quarter: A good return back to the 45 by Grimes is followed by a nice 27-yard catch by MacAulay and quickly the Tribe is right back into UVA territory inside the 30. An Archer run brings up 3rd and a yard at the 21. The cornerback steps in front of the pass and is almost off to the races, but he forgets to catch the ball. The Tribe lines up to go for it, but commits a false start penalty to back them up five yards. Pate comes on and drills the left upright. That is now six easy points the College has left on the field.
7:00, 2nd quarter: A play later, Sewell takes it in for the score on a quarterback keeper. Great run for the quarterback, who hesitated nicely and followed his blockers in. UVA 14, Tribe 7.
An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the celebration will give the Tribe 15 extra yards on the kickoff. We’ll see how they answer here.
7:00, 2nd quarter: Lost my internet connection briefly, sorry for the interruption.
The College forced a three and out and got the ball back, but is unable to pick up a first. They did almost pick up a huge play though, as Chase Hill came up inches short of catching an Archer bomb with the endzone wide open. A handoff to Grimes was flicked back to Archer and the Tribe almost caught the defense napping.
Now, the Cav’s are putting together a drive of their own, with Sewell leading Virginia down inside the Tribe 20. It’s now 1st and goal at the 10.
13:00, 2nd quarter: The College comes up short on 3rd and 5. Brian Pate comes on to kick the field goal, but his attempt is blocked. Big play for the Cavaliers.
End of 1st quarter: College 7, UVA 7. After a shaky start, the tables have turned and the Tribe is driving for the lead. Outside of two plays, UVA has done nothing and the Cavaliers fans are looking extremely nervous. Despite the miscues at the start, the Tribe has to be happy with this first quarter of play.
A fantastic College crowd in the opposite corner of the stadium has been very vocal so far this game. The sea of Green and Gold almost looks like what you would see from a fellow ACC opponent.
End of 1st quarter: Grimes picks up the first on 3rd and 1 and the College has a first down at the UVA 33. The Tribe lets the first quarter end as the Tribe fans go crazy in the opposite corner. The rest of the stadium is dead silent.
1:00, 1st quarter: A swing pass to Grimes on 3rd and 6 picks up a big first down at the UVA 45. A great move from Grimes to shake a tackler and pick up the maker. He looks very strong early. A play later, he’s hit and stopped at the line. Only he emerges from the pile and picks up 6. Impressive running from the sophomore.
3:00, 1st quarter: The Cav’s switch quarterbacks to Jamee Sewell. A snap over Sewell’s head on the ensuing UVA possession and C.J. Herbert picks up an easy sack for a loss of 9. The Cavaliers get one back on second down before Hall hits Kris Burd for a big first down down the field. David Caldwell is shaken up on the play, but manages to get up and jog off the field. Huge play for UVA after a few three and outs.
Next up, Sewell badly overthrows his receiver and B.W. Webb is there for the interception. He returns it to the Tribe 43 and all of a sudden the momentum of this game has shifted drastically.
5:00, 1st quarter: The Cavaliers were pressing and attacking the line, so Laycock and Archer decided to back them off with the deep ball. That huge drive just changed the complexion of the game and should take a lot of pressure off the offensive line. A great call to go with Riggins on third down and long shows exactly why Laycock is regarded as one of the best offensive minds in the game.
5:00, 1st quarter: The Tribe picks up another first down as Archer hits D.J. MacAulay for a 9 yard gain on second down. A play later, Ryan Moody finds space over the middle and Archer hits him for a 48-yard gain down to the five. On the next play, Archer scrambles right and after improvising, hits an open Rob Varno in the back of the end zone for the touchdown. Great offensive series and the Tribe is right back in the game. 7-7 tie.
6:00, 1st quarter: The Tribe again stop the Cavaliers with Virginia coming up just short on third and five. Offense takes over at the Tribe 18. Archer swings one to Grimes on the second play, who bulls two tacklers up to the 22. 3rd and 7. Great call from Laycock who has Archer hand it to Riggins on a counter. He picks up 12 for the Tribe’s initial first down of the evening.
9:00, 1st quarter: An incompletion and a run for no gain brings up 3rd and 10. Archer sets up a good screen to Courtland Marriner who has blockers. However, the blockers don’t bother to block. Marriner is hit for a loss of 1. Another ugly three and out. Holding on UVA on the punt, gives the Cavaliers the ball at their own 26.
So far, the Tribe defense is looking solid, really only giving up yardage on one play. The offense, however, looks terrible. The line has been shaky and Archer is out of sync with his receivers. The Cavaliers do look very fast on the defensive end, however.
10:00, 1st quarter: The College defense comes up strong. Trantin hits Hall in the backfield for a two yard loss and, after a short run, Adrian Tracy bats down a third-down pass. Three and out for UVA. The Tribe takes over at their 26 after a punt.
11:00, 1st quarter: Grimes settles the Tribe down with a good return out to the 31. He was fairly close to breaking it for big yardage as well. Archer scrambles around right end for no gain. After only a few plays, the College o-line is not looking good. Archer overthrows a slightly open Cam Dohse and then misses Grimes on a play which would have been short of the marker anyway. Another ugly 3 and out for the Tribe. Another good punt from Miller, a 47-yarder that goes out of bounds at the UVA 22.
12:00, 1st quarter: A good punt from Miller and Chase Hill sticks the return man when it comes down. Only problem was that he called for a fair catch. The 15-yard penalty allows the Cavaliers to start at the Tribe 39 and three plays later, quarterback Vic Hall scrambles 35 yards around right end into the end zone. A nightmare start for the Tribe. 7-0 Virginia.
13:00, 1st quarter: A false start on the first play from scrimmage pushes the Tribe back to the five, making them start out on first and 15. Grimes carries a couple before R.J. Archer hits freshman wideout Ryan Moody near the first down marker. The College should have picked up the first on 3rd and 2, but Moody misses a block and Grimes is wrapped up in the backfield on a screen.
15:00, 1st quarter: The Cavaliers win the toss and defer to the second half. Jonathan Grimes takes the kickoff out to the 25 yard-line before a block in the back pushes the College back to the 10. Not a great start.
Pregame: The Tribe just took the field right in front of the Tribe section. Two solid sections filled with green and gold, an excellent turnout for the College. Probably close to a couple thousand people. The teams just shook hands at midfield as part of the NCAA’s sportsmanship initiative to start the season. That should work better here than in Boise on Thursday.
Pregame: After the Army Black Knights parachuted in, the UVA marching band performed and the national anthem was played, we’re getting close to football here. The Cavaliers are taking the field to a sea of orange. This was after a video skit was played showing a UVA Cavalier stepping on a stereotypical WM “Indian”, who only made generic baby noises. That wasn’t racist at all.
Pregame: Before I head over to the pregame media buffet, I’ll post this week’s keys to the game. The College is hoping to utilize their top-notch defense to keep this one close and sneak out with the upset win. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, will look to jumpstart a new offense with a big performance against the Tribe. My keys to the game:
Stay disciplined
Virginia employs the spread offense — the same attack that JMU used to put up 47 points against the College last season. The Cavaliers do not have a quarterback as dynamic as Rodney Landers, but the Tribe defense will need to tackle better and stay disciplined against a quick, shifty offense.
Protect Archer
Chris Sutton and Derek Toon will both earn their first career starts on the offensive line. That unit has been erratic in preseason, but U.Va. and its raucous crowd of 61,000 will be an even tougher test. If quarterback R.J. Archer spends the entire game scrambling for his life, the College will have little chance.
The kicking game
Last year, kicker Brian Pate was rock solid for the College, drilling 13 of 16 field goal attempts. Virginia used a pair of kickers who combined to go 9 for 15. Tribe punter David Miller averaged 41 yards a punt, while the Cavaliers’ Jimmy Howell averaged 39. If this game is close, the difference in each of those statistics could play a decisive role.
Pregame: The Cavaliers just took the field for final stretching to a wide smattering of applause. The stadium is about one fifth full right about now and it looks like it will be a sea of orange. Except for the southeast corner that is, which is where several sections of College fans and students are sitting. Appears the Tribe are going to be extremely well represented with a pretty good road turnout. It seemed on campus that everybody was heading out to Charlottesville for today’s game.
Pregame: We’re live from the press box at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville and it’s now exactly 50 minutes to the start of the 2009 Tribe football season. Scott Stadium is beginning to fill on what is a beautiful early September evening. It looks like it’s going to be a capacity 61,000 person crowd tonight for this in-state rivalry matchup.
Stay tuned throughout the night for play-by-play and commentary while posting any questions in the comments section below. I’ll get to them as fast as I can.
Women’s soccer: Tribe outlasts no. 17 Cougars for overtime win
It seemed so unreal, an ethereal fantasy created by the lung-burning altitude, that a team could win this way. Yet there the Tribe was, in front of 3,000 hostile fans in the 115th minute, having put the golden goal away in overtime on only the College’s second shot of the match.
William and Mary (2-1) defeated Brigham Young (2-1-1) 1-0 Friday night, despite being outshot by the Cougars 15-2. Freshman forward Erin Liberatore scored the game-winner in overtime, taking a ball played in to the box by senior midfielder Krissy Vornadore and placing it past the BYU keeper for her second goal of the season.
“Krissy Vornadore came down the right channel, around the goal box,” Head Coach John Daly said. “She played the ball past the defense and Erin ran on to it and played it past the keeper.”
Confusion soon followed as the referee on the back side displayed the inclination to nullify the goal for offsides. The BYU faithful and Daly each were ready to make their case and as Daly was about to step out on the field, the call was made. The goal counted.
“They gave a lot of pressure and had a lot of chances,” Daly said of the BYU attack, “but our defense played real well and behind them [junior goalkeeper] Grace Barnard played outstanding.”
It was the best match of Barnard’s career. In the 23rd minute, she made a finger-tip save of a header from Cougar forward Kassidy Shumway, one of the six saves she made on the night.
The Cougars thought they had taken an early lead off of a 3rd minute rebound score by forward Carlee Payne, but Payne was ruled offsides and Barnard’s sheet remained clean for the rest of the match.
Offensively for the College, the chances were few and far between until Liberatore’s goal. Sophomore forward Stephanie Gerow got off a shot in the in the 93rd minute during the first overtime that was saved by BYU goalie McKinzie Olson.
The only other chance for the College came in the 89th minute, when a nice run by freshman midfielder Cortlyn Bristol was deflected away before she could register a shot.
Overall, it was a match of perseverance for the Tribe, something the College is starting to get used to early on in its young season. The Tribe has persevered through its abysmal opening showing versus the University of North Carolina—Charlotte and was able to persevere during a second half comeback attempt by Monmouth University.
Friday was just the latest example of the trait that is coming to define the Tribe’s season so far. Outshot, outmanned and outnumbered, the College did not give up and for that, they will head to the University of Utah Sunday with a 2-1 record.
“It was a great game for our own confidence but we’re only half way done,” Daly said. “Utah is a good team. We didn’t play well versus UNC—Charlotte, we played better versus Monmouth and tonight I thought we played well together.
“We’re learning each other out there and gaining confidence and I hope we play well on Sunday.”
Resident parking changes provoke student complaints
The College of William and Mary has drastically modified on-campus parking availability in order to address an increased need for parking spaces.
Parking Services has increased faculty and staff parking spaces at Adair Hall, Morton Hall, the parking deck and on Ukrop Way from 223 spaces to 392 spaces. Day student parking spots at these locations have also been increased from 190 to 350 spots.
Campus residents, previously allotted 135 spots in the area surrounding Morton and Jones Hall, now have only 25 spaces available. Parking Services is compensating for this displacement of 110 resident spaces by allocating 24 spaces in Yates lot, 25 spaces in the Stadium/Bryan Lot and 43 spaces in the William and Mary Hall lot.
In addition, the revised parking scheme includes new angled spaces on Landrum Drive. The now one-way street between Jamestown Road and the Crim Dell contains 36 spaces.
Chris Bubb, ’10, first noticed the change when he was left with nowhere to park in the parking deck, finding that the spaces that had been marked for students during his three years at the College were no longer available.
“Initially, I was just shocked,” he said.
Bubb, who lives in the Randolph complex, is now forced to park in the William and Mary Hall lot.
Joyce Kim ’11, who lives in Reves Hall, is also upset about the parking situation on campus. Although Landrum Drive has the closest parking to her dorm, there are so few resident spots that parking there is “nearly impossible.”
Instead, Kim said she has had to park in locations like William and Mary Hall, a lot that is “extremely inconvenient for someone living in Reves.”
According to the memo issued to faculty, staff and students by the Office of Administration, the changes were made in order to shift resident spaces from academic areas to areas closer to residence halls.
“Everything dorm-wise tends to be on the other side of campus,” Assistant Manager of Parking Services Penny Mayton said.
Bubb wonders if the changes were necessary.
“There is a clear lack of parking for residents. That’s fine if we’re going to build more buildings,” he said. “But why not increase parking? More parking for more people only seems fair.”
If given the chance to offer an alternative scheme, Bubb suggested reducing the disproportionate amount of day student parking and believes that Parking Services should reallocate spots to resident students.
A working group comprised of Parking Advisory Committee members and Facilities Management personnel developed the parking arrangements.
The group gathered information on anticipated parking demand and examined a series of possible scenarios before making their decision. The group also considered input from faculty, staff and students.
Parking Services predicts that some of the temporary challenges currently facing drivers will be alleviated when construction is completed at the School of Education in the spring.
The School of Education is scheduled to open in May 2010, at which point faculty, staff and students will make the move from Jones Hall on new campus to the school’s new location off Monticello Avenue.
“Before that point, we will be re-evaluating the parking situation,” Mayton said.
Manager of Parking Services Bill Horacio could not be reached for a comment.