The William and Mary field hockey team mounted a furious second-half rally against Michigan Friday night, coming back while down a player to fight back into the match before ultimately falling 5-3 at Busch Field.  The Tribe is now 2-5 on the year, while the Wolverines improved to 4-3.

Box Score

The goals came fast early, with the Tribe leading the way with a goal just over two minutes in.  Junior Emma Clifton (Loomberah, NSW) stole the ball from a Michigan defender at the top of the circle, and started a give-and-go with fellow Australian Pippin Saunders (Mittagong, NSW).  The sophomore gathered in the last pass close to the near post, and fired it across the goalmouth into the far boards.  It was the second goal and second assist of the season for both players.

Michigan's Rachael Mack responded less than a minute later with a dive down the middle to tie the score at 1-1, and finished off a corner at the start of the eighth minute to put the Wolverines on top.  Just 90 seconds later, Michigan struck again with a long break-away pass that was finished by two players in the circle, and the Wolverines were ahead 3-1.  The visitors had another opportunity in the 18th minute on a penalty corner and up a player, but senior Mia Cherry (Yorktown, Va.) denied the shot attempt to record her second career defensive save.  Michigan earned another penalty corner at the start of the 34th minute, again on a power-play, and converted that one to take a 4-1 lead into the break.

Coming out in the second half, the Tribe immediately went on the attack, and nearly got one back less than two minutes in.  Clifton launched a rocket from the top of the key and in the ensuing scrum, a W&M player put the loose ball into the back of the net.  However, the referees conferred and disallowed the goal, ruling that a foul was called before the shot.  Coming the other way, Michigan was able to earn two penalty corners in the next two minutes, and converted the second to go up 5-1 in the 39th minute.

Undeterred, W&M continued to press, earning two penalty corners of their own and putting shots on-frame off of each which were saved.  In the 46th minute, the Tribe was hit with a 10-minute yellow card, and forced to play down a player while attempting the comeback, which would prove to be just the spark the home team needed.  After pressuring the defense several more teams, the breakthrough finally came in the 52nd minute.  Captain Jesse Ebner (Sinking Spring, Pa.) fired a long, low hit from near midfield straight on at the goal, and founding Brittany Hopkins (Springfield, Va.) lurking near the goalkeeper.  While the Wolverine tried frantically to charge, Hopkins got her stick in the path of the shot and angled it up and over the keeper and into the goal.  It was Ebner's first assist of the season, and Hopkins' second goal.

Hopkins was able to pay the favor forward six minutes later, after two successive corners by the Tribe.  Senior Taylor Hodge (Louisville, Ky.) made saved shots on both corners, and after the second  rebounded away Hopkins chased it down on the backside of the corner.  She attempted a high-deflection angle shot to the far side, and freshman Maria Pastor (Burke, Va.) improved the angle with a tip-in that found the back of the net.  It was both the second assist and the second goal of the year for the pair, and helped force Michigan to take a time-out soon after.  W&M kept pressing, but was only able to generate one more corner and one more shot which was saved.

Overall, the Tribe and the Wolverines were even in the match with nine shots apiece and six penalty corners each.  The half-stats mirrored the momentum of each team, with Michigan collecting seven shots and four corners in the first half, while W&M controlled the second with seven shots and five corners.  In goal, Meredith Savage (Virginia Beach, Va.) had both the start and the decision, and made two saves in her time between the pipes.  Cate Johnson (Charlottesville, Va.) played another almost 28 minutes in the goal, and grad student Adriana Peratsakis (Williamsburg, Va.) made her first game appearance for W&M, playing the final 26 minutes without being tested.

William and Mary is back in action on Sunday afternoon, hosting Davidson at 12 p.m. on Busch Field.