Sunday, August 31, William and Mary women’s soccer (2-3-1, 0-0 CAA) took down American (0-4-1, 0-0 Patriot) 3-1 on a warm, breezy Senior Day afternoon. Friends, family and fans flocked to Martin Family Stadium with signs and flowers to honor the Tribe’s eight graduates, and the crowd was a significant factor during the game, swelling when momentum was with the home team.
William and Mary dominated every aspect of the contest, pressing high and hard in the opening minutes and attempting a shot less than a minute after kickoff. After just four minutes of play, the hosts were able to find the back of the net. Junior midfielder Lindsay Wilson used a sharp dribble move to shake her defender before laying a pass to senior forward Sheridan Brummett. Receiving the ball just outside of the 18-yard box, Brummett took a touch and fired a shot to the top-right corner, beating the keeper.
“We asked that first group to press hard,” William and Mary head coach Julie Shackford ’88 said. “Getting that first goal was a big goal of ours, and that kind of set the tone for the rest of it.”
The Tribe attack continued as the first half progressed. The ball rarely left American’s side of the field, and the Eagles constantly found themselves on their heels defending William and Mary’s through-balls and runs. In the 19th minute, junior defender/midfielder Molly Widderich played a perfect ball from the right wing to freshman forward Ellie Lefler. Although Lefler’s ensuing shot came from a difficult angle, American senior goalkeeper Tamera Taylor-Moore was nevertheless forced to make an acrobatic save, barely stymying the near-post attempt.
By the time the teams entered the locker room, the Tribe had managed nine shots to American’s one. Despite producing numerous promising opportunities, the hosts only managed to score one goal in the opening period. “We probably should’ve had a couple more,” Shackford acknowledged.
The second half saw the Tribe continue to dominate Brummett, and freshman midfielder Mia Abbey quickly set the tone with shots early in the period. In the 50th minute, a promising Tribe attack was halted by an American handball, a foul that awarded a penalty kick to the hosts. Senior forward Ivey Crain stepped up to the ball with confidence and struck it with power, easily beating Taylor-Moore and making the score 2-0.
Even with a cushion, the Tribe refused to let up, continuing to maintain possession and pressure the Eagles’ backline. After being denied on three occasions following the penalty, the Green and Gold managed to find the goal once more. In the 76th minute, Abbey found Wilson, who took a touch to gain control before striking the ball into the top left corner –– too fast for Taylor-Moore.
After her team went up 3-0, Shackford felt comfortable benching most of the first unit. The Tribe coach made a point of giving opportunities to seniors down the stretch, substituting in a total of 14 players on the day. With the game winding down, American sophomore forward Nariah Goldman found the goal with an unassisted shot in the 88th minute, but the effort was too little, too late. The match ended minutes later to celebrations from the Tribe’s bench. Although the box score shows American attempting eight shots, few posed any threat to William and Mary’s staunch backline.
The Tribe will see action again on Sunday, September 7, when it travels to take on No. 20 Virginia Tech (4-0-1, 0-0 ACC). Coastal Athletic Association play begins soon after.
“All these games are really prepping for the CAA,” Shackford said, highlighting the “different sets of circumstances” that the non-conference slate exposes the team to. “Obviously, Tech is a top team … you have to play hard, and it’s one of those games where we know what we’re up against. I think we’ll compete hard, and you never know in soccer.”
