Sunday, Sept. 20, William and Mary field hockey (1-5, 0-0 CAA) fell 5-2 against in-state rival Richmond (6-2, 1-0 AAC) at Busch Field in Williamsburg, Va. Sunday’s meeting was the second of the season between the local rivals, following a preseason clash between the teams Tuesday, Aug. 18.
Both teams started the game cautiously, opting for a slower approach that prioritized possession over quick, long hits across the field. The Tribe sustained pressure, forcing turnovers early in the game.
“Instead of attacking or defending the two forwards, we went with three-four-three, which really gave us that opportunity to keep a lot of pressure on their backfield,” head coach Tess Ellis said.
Richmond broke through the Tribe’s defense early, earning a corner with around 12 minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Spiders maintained possession but failed to score on senior goalkeeper Alexandra de Jesus.
Eventually, the Spiders’ pressure paid off as junior forward Malena Magnano found the back of the cage at the 5-minute, 46-second mark.
The Tribe responded with a quick attack, led by freshman midfielder/forward Hailey Haynes. On that possession, the Tribe broke into the Spiders’ circle, recording its first shot of the game.
Shortly after the Tribe’s attempt to level the score, Richmond fired on all cylinders. With 2:55 left in the quarter, Spiders senior forward/midfielder Clara Larripa hit a line drive into the corner of the Tribe’s cage, just out of de Jesus’ reach. Needing an offensive push, the Tribe ended the quarter down 2-0.
Both defenses came to life in the second quarter, with only five shots recorded between the two teams.
The Richmond offense dominated after the halftime break. Larripa broke through again just three minutes into the third quarter with a strong push to the back of the cage. Up 3-0, Richmond persisted, earning a pair of offensive corners. With 8:57 left in the quarter, Spiders senior forward/midfielder Avery Russell tipped the ball past de Jesus.
“They did change a bit [at] halftime, and they knew we wanted to attack our rights, so they put more players,” Ellis said.
Despite the 4-0 deficit, the Tribe continued pushing forward and quickly got to work. Graduate student defender Kate Longo put the Tribe back on the offensive, and senior forward Josie Mae Gruendel successfully drew Richmond freshman goalkeeper Mairead Carey out of the cage. This allowed senior midfielder/forward Sam Daly to put the Tribe on the board.
“[The goal] sort of sat them back a little bit,” Ellis said. “If we can learn to do that quickly, I think the team will be very competitive in [the] conference.”
A pair of green cards for Richmond freshman midfielder Abril Peroni and Tribe senior midfielder Ellen Ford brought the game briefly down to 10 versus 10. The Spiders capitalized on this change, with Larripa earning a hat trick at the 42:01 mark.
The Green and Gold bounced back, earning a pair of offensive corners and eventually a penalty stroke. With a strong push to the corner of the cage, William and Mary freshman midfielder/defender Lauren McManus narrowed the deficit to three.
Like the second quarter, the fourth saw strong defensive action from both teams. Ultimately, however, the Tribe fell short.
With Coastal Athletic Association play around the corner, Ellis said she is optimistic.
“We learn — now we have to perform,” Ellis added. “I was really proud of them during preseason because I was really pushing them to start thinking about the game more as a whole instead of just going out and playing.”
Ellis said health will be key to her team’s conference success this season.
“Everyone’s healthy, and they’re just really at that stage ready to peak, and I think that is a good thing for us,” she said.
Friday, Sept. 25, the Tribe will face Northeastern (2-5, 1-0 CAA) at Dedham Field in Dedham, Mass. The Green and Gold will vie for a top-four conference spot and its first CAA tournament bid since 2023.
