WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The No. 24-ranked William and Mary Tribe women's soccer team ended the home portion of its 2011 regular season schedule on a high note, defeating the Delaware Blue Hens, 2-1, on Senior Day at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field.  With the win, the Tribe improves to 11-1-2 on the season and to a perfect 6-0 in CAA conference play.  With the loss, Delaware falls to 7-5-1 on the year and to 3-2 in league action.

Junior captain Mallory Schaffer scored the game-winning goal on a penalty kick in the 34th minute, while sophomore Dani Rutter scored the match's first goal to lead the Tribe on Sunday afternoon.  Junior Erin Liberatore notched an assist, while goalie Katherine Yount made a career-high seven saves in her final regular season match at Martin Family Stadium.

The Tribe's high-powered offense got on the board first in the 13th minute, taking an early 1-0 lead over the visiting Blue Hens.  With possession on the right side of the field, Liberatore created some space and fired a great shot on goal from 20 yards out, just outside the top right corner of the 18-yard box.  The Delaware keeper was able to make the diving save to her right, but the ensuing rebound bounced right to the foot of Rutter, who blasted the shot in the net from six yards out.  The goal was Rutter's fifth on the season, while Liberatore notched her third assist of the season.

After continuing its offensive onslaught over the next 20 minutes, the College got on the board again in the 33rd.  After a failed Delaware clearance, sophomore Audrey Barry had the ball inside the 18-yard box, near the top left corner.  After beating her defender, Barry was taken down from behind, drawing a penalty kick for the College.  Schaffer got the call to take the kick and delivered with her CAA-leading 12th goal of the season.

At halftime, the Tribe held a 2-0 lead over the Blue Hens.  In the first 45 minutes, the Tribe out shot UD, 11-4, with the Green and Gold getting five shots on goal to three for Delaware.

In the second half, the Tribe was able to keep possession for the bulk of the frame, but like it has done in the past, the College was unable to cash in on some of its great opportunities. 

In the 82nd minute, Delaware took advantage of one of its offensive pushes, scoring a nice goal off the foot of Stacie Dulkis.  Dulkis took a pass from Laura Klebe on the right side and fired a looping shot over the head of the W&M goalie from 20 yards out to put UD on the board.  That's where the offense would stop for the Blue Hens, however, with the College holding on for a 2-1 win.

For the match, the Tribe out shot Delaware, 21-11, with the Blue Hens getting nine shots on goal to eight for William and Mary.  Corner kicks were 4-1 in favor of UD.

With the win, the College extends its unbeaten streak to eight matches and its winning streak to seven.  The unbeaten streak is the longest for the Tribe since 2007, while the seven wins in a row are the most for the Green and Gold since it the 2006 campaign.

The 2-1 win over Delaware on Sunday also wrapped up the home portion of William and Mary's 2011 regular season schedule.  Simply put, the College was dominant at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field this year, posting an 8-0-1 record and outscoring their opponents a combined 27-5.  The eight wins tie a school record, while W&M's home winning percentage of .994 breaks the previous mark of .900 set back in 2006.  The 2006 season was also the last time the Tribe went undefeated at home, posting an 8-0-2 record. 

Also of note, the victory moves the Tribe's CAA conference record to 6-0 for just the fifth time in school history.  In the previous four occasions, the Tribe has earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament.  This year in CAA play, the Tribe has outscored its league opponents, 18-2.

The No. 24-ranked William and Mary Tribe women's soccer team will hit the road next week for a pair of CAA matches.  The College will play the Hofstra Pride on Friday, October 14, before heading to Boston to play the Northeastern Huskies on Sunday, October 16.  Live stats for both matches can be found at TribeAthletics.com.