The William and Mary field hockey team fell in a tough season-opener to No. 6 Virginia, 9-0, on Friday night at Busch Field.  The Tribe is now 0-1 on the year, while the Cavaliers improved to 1-0.

Box Score

The game was played much closer than the score indicated, with the Tribe playing even-ball if not possessing a bit a more, in the midfield.  However, it was the Cavaliers who were able to break through and win corner opportunities, or take advantage of a moment's confusion and score.  W&M did have a number of decent looks in the second half especially, with senior Charlotte Mabon (Landenburg, Pa.) cracking a shot in the 36th minute that just caught the goalkeeper's pads.  In the final two minutes as well, sophomore Maria Pastor (Burke, Va.) was just a quarter-second behind connecting on a one-time volley out of the air that had the crowd on its feet in anticipation.  On defense, junior goalkeeper Meredith Savage (Virginia Beach, Va.) made a career-high 12 saves and a number of gutsy challenges that frustrated even more chances.

William and Mary is back on the field Sunday, playing at Richmond at 1 p.m.