Two blowout losses in quick succession would drain some teams’ confidence, giving them an excuse to throw in the towel. Under the leadership of head coach Chris Norris ’95, William and Mary men’s soccer is not one of those teams.
Following a 5-0 loss to Coastal Athletic Association foe UNC Wilmington (2-2-2, 2-1 CAA) Sept. 13 and a 7-0 setback at the hands of No. 2 North Carolina State (7-0-1, 1-0-1 ACC) Sept. 16, the Tribe (0-4-3, 0-2-1 CAA) moved its season back in a positive direction Saturday, Sept. 20, claiming a 1-1 draw against Elon (5-0-2, 2-0-1 CAA) at Martin Family Stadium in Williamsburg, Va.
For Norris, the matchup was all about turning the page from the two disheartening defeats and focusing on the challenges ahead.
“Sometimes you have to just throw those things away and reset yourselves physiologically and mentally,” Norris said.
After conceding three and four first-half goals against UNCW and NC State respectively, the first 45 minutes were far more stable for William and Mary. The Tribe had a few promising forays into the Phoenix half: in the fifth minute, senior forward Lucas Caldas tested graduate student goalkeeper Jackson Leavitt in the Elon net, and in the 44th minute, junior midfielder Alexandros Katsari-Hoefer attempted a shot that flew past the net.
William and Mary also turned in a productive defensive effort, staying compact as the Elon wingers and fullbacks delivered the ball into the box from out wide. The Tribe did not allow the Phoenix to attempt a shot during the period, a fact that pleased Norris.
“We were happy with the way we performed in the first half,” Norris said. “Our focus primarily after the week we had was not conceding goals.”
Led by junior midfielder Jahmir Flowers, who was able to get past his defender on multiple occasions, the Phoenix came out more energized in the second half. Elon broke through in the 49th minute — junior goalkeeper Ryan Eapen blocked a shot from junior forward Jordin Wilson, but junior midfielder Martin Kozak recovered the rebound and fired it past Eapen, giving the Phoenix a 1-0 advantage.
While the week’s earlier games saw the Tribe struggle to remain competitive after falling behind, that was far from the case Saturday, as the Green and Gold immediately pushed for an equalizer.
In the 68th minute, senior midfielder Diogo Branco delivered the moment the Tribe was looking for, swerving into the Elon box and winning a penalty. Senior forward Sam Delgado took the kick, sending Leavitt the wrong way before calmly placing it in the back of the net.
Norris said he and his staff moved Branco into a more advanced midfield role before the game, getting the Portugal native closer to the box and into positions where he could attack the Elon backline. The decision paid off in spades, allowing William and Mary to leave the match with a point.
With the score level at 1-1, both sides chased a game-winner in the closing minutes, coming close on multiple occasions — two different Elon corners nearly ended up in the Tribe’s net. Defending set pieces has been one of Norris’ concerns throughout the season and remains a major point of emphasis for the Tribe coach, as they nearly doomed his squad to a loss.
“We’re worried about set pieces every game, and [Elon’s] got some big guys and gets good service,” Norris said.
The Tribe came inches away from a last-second goal of its own as Delgado forced Leavitt to make an 89th-minute save after he found his way behind the Elon backline, but the game ended in a deadlock.
With William and Mary’s difficult week now behind it, Norris expressed his hope that his squad will carry the early-game acumen and defensive solidity it displayed against Elon into the second half of the season.
“Our ability to start the game well and to defend well early on, especially, and to stick to a good defensive plan,” Norris said.
The Tribe will be back in action at Martin Family Stadium Tuesday, Sept. 23, against in-state rival Old Dominion (2-3-2, 0-1 Sun Belt).
