WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William and Mary field hockey team erased a 2-0 first-half deficit, but could not over come a late penalty stroke in the first half, falling to Rutgers, 3-2, on Friday night at Busch Field. Junior Pippin Saunders registered a goal and an assist on the evening, while senior Lindsey Buckheit also found the back of the cage for the Tribe. With the decision, W&M falls to 1-4, while the Scarlet Knights improve to 4-1.

Rutgers opened the scoring with a goal in just three third minutes into the match. Katie Champion sent a pass towards the front of the cage that barely made it through the Tribe defense. Nicole Imbriaco found the loose ball and buried it into the left-side boards, giving the Scarlet Knights a 1-0 lead.

The Scarlet Knights doubled their lead in the 10th minute with a goal off of a penalty corner. Champion inserted the corner to Jenn Staab, who laid the ball perfectly for Sofia Walia. Her shot from the top of the area found the back of the cage just passed the stick of Tribe goalkeeper Meredith Savage.

W&M cut the lead in half with a tally three minutes later off of a penalty corner of its own. Senior Emma Clifton fired a shot turned pass toward the left post, and Saunders was there to deflect into the top of the cage. It marked the second assist of the season for Clifton and moved her into a tie for third on the Tribe's career list with her 19th career helper. The goal was Saunders first of the season and 16th of her career.  

The Green and Gold knotted the match in the 28th minute. Freshman Emma MacLeod raced down the right flank before finding Saunders just inside the left part of the penalty area. Saunders centered a pass to Buckheit, who knocked a shot into the left boards from in close. Buckheit's first goal of the season knotted the score at two. It marked Saunders 16th career assist, which is tied for ninth in Tribe annals.

Rutgers brought a one-goal lead into the half thanks to a penalty stroke just under three minutes before the intermission. A Tribe defender brought down a Rutgers attacker in the circle for the foul. Walia, who tallied her second goal of the night, fired the penalty stroke into the right boards, making it 3-2 in favor of the visitors.

W&M had three penalty corners in the final 10 minutes of regulation, but could not find the equalizer.  The best chance came when senior Brittany Hopkins pushed her shot just wide in the 63rd minute off a sequence of two straight corners.

Rutgers had a chance to increase its lead in the 69th minute off a penalty corner. Sophie Wright fired a shot from the top of the circle, but it was saved off of the line by senior Kelsea Hull, earning her a defensive save.

The Tribe had a final chance for the equalizer in the waning seconds, earning a penalty corner with less than 10 seconds remaining. The Green and Gold though could not get off a shot as the Rutgers defense held strong and cleared to cement the victory.

Hopkins led the Tribe with three shots, including two on frame. W&M finished the night outshooting Rutgers, 12-9, including a 10-7 advantage in shots on goal. The Green and Gold also held a 6-4 cushion in penalty corners. Savage made three saves in goal for the Tribe, while her counterpart Shevaun Hayes made eight saves for the Scarlet Knights.

W&M returns to action on Sunday, Sept. 14, when it hosts No. 11 Louisville. Start time from Busch Field is set for noon.