WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Celebrating Senior Night as a part of homecoming weekend, the William and Mary field hockey team dropped a tough overtime decision, 2-1, to No. 9-ranked Old Dominion on Saturday evening. It marked the second time in the last four days that the Monarchs and Tribe went to overtime as the College fell to 10-8 overall and 3-4 in CAA play. ODU wrapped up the regular season at 14-5, including a 7-0 ledger in league action.

Prior to the start of the contest, W&M honored its six-member senior class of Allison Moran, Leah Zamesnik, Christine Johnson, Ashley Kyle, Maria Caro and Sarah Morehouse. This season, the group led W&M to its first 10-win season since 2006 and a return trip to the CAA Tournament. Saturday night's contest was also originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon, but was moved due to the impending weather with Hurricane Sandy.

After ODU picked up a 3-2 overtime victory over the Tribe on Wednesday night in a non-conference meeting, the teams each scored goals in the second half, five minutes apart and went to extra time for a second time in the same week. It looked as though the Tribe had pulled off the upset with a penalty corner goal just under five minutes into the overtime period. Johnson put the ball in the back of the cage for the Green and Gold with a hard shot from the top of the circle, but the shot was ruled illegal, nullifying the score.

Less than a minute later, the Monarch scored to pick up the 2-1 victory. Rosario Villagra carried the ball into the right side of the area and cut back toward the middle, before wrapping a shot into the upper right side of the cage from 15 yards out.

Old Dominion outshot W&M, 12-10, and had a 6-3 cushion in penalty corners. The Green and Gold though came up with a strong effort in the second half and overtime, outshooting the Monarchs, 9-6, and generated three corners compared to ODU's three over the span.

In the opening 35 minutes, ODU generated a trio of penalty corner with shot on each, but Frey was only forced to make one save in the 21st minute. In the 13th minute, it was Kyle with a shot for the Green and Gold that was stopped by ODU goalkeeper Marla Petriello.

Midway through the second half, Old Dominion struck first, scoring off a penalty corner at the 50:10 mark. Tribe fifth-year senior goalkeeper Elizabeth Frey made a diving save off of Kesley Smither's initial shot from the top of the circle, but Christy Longacre jumped on the rebound, scoring into the left-side boards from five yards out.

Just over five minutes later, the College pulled even on Hodge's third goal of the season in the 56th minute. The Louisville, Ky., native blasted a powerful strike from the left side of the area, 12 yards out, to tie the match at one with 14:35 remaining.

W&M continued to ratchet up the offensive pressure over the remainder of regulation. In the 61st minute off a penalty corner, the Tribe's initial attempt from the top of the circle was blocked by the Monarch defense. The rebound though, fell to Zamesnik, who beat the ODU goalkeeper, but the Monarchs' Julie Hodge made the defensive save to keep the match tied.

The Tribe generated a turnover less than a minute later, but freshman Pip Saunders' shot was saved by Petriello. The College did receive a penalty corner out of the sequence, but it was again Petriello making the save on Johnson's shot from the top of the circle.

Sophomore Emma Clifton nearly gave W&M the victory in the final seconds of regulation, but was denied by Petriello. The Tribe midfielder took a hard shot from just inside the area on the right side, but it was blocked wide by the Monarch backstop with just 16 seconds remaining.

With the victory, ODU closed W&M's advantage in the 2012-13 Optima Health Challenge to 20-10. The Optima Health Challenge is a year-long all-sport series between W&M and ODU with 120 possible points available though head-to-head match-ups in 12 sports. The winner of the 2012-13 Challenge will be the first to amass at least 65 points. 

The Tribe will take part in the CAA Quarterfinals on Thursday, Nov. 1. The Green and Gold will be the event's No. 4 seed and face the No. 5 seed Delaware. The CAA Tournament will be held at the No. 1 overall seed's home field. The league's top seed is still in doubt entering the league's final day of competition on Sunday. Stay tuned to TribeAthletics.com for the latest CAA Tournament information.