The William & Mary field hockey team continues its recent run of extremely good play on Tuesday night, taking No. 10 Virginia to the brink and almost pushing them over before falling 3-2 at home.  The Tribe moved to 5-7 on the year with the loss, while the Cavaliers improved to 9-5.

The two teams were evenly matched all night, including in the scoreless first half where each side took four shots.  Action heated up in the second half, starting in the 38th minute.  The Tribe pushed forward on the attack, and junior Emma MacLeod (Richmond, Va.) juked the goalkeeper before taking a shot on cage that was saved by a field player making a terrific play.  The Cavaliers opened the scoring five minutes later off a penalty corner to go up 1-0, but the Tribe answered in the 49th.  Junior Booter Ellis (Delmar, Del.) launched a pass into the circle from the quarter-field stripe, where she found MacLeod diving through the penalty spot.  MacLeod got her stick under the pass and tipped it up and past the keeper into the top netting.

With the score tied 1-1, junior Cammie Lloyd (Midlothian, Va.) put W&M on top with her team-leading 11th goal of the year early in the 52nd minute.  Taking the ball herself, she drove through two layers of defenders into the circle, and took a difficult reverse-stick shot that sprinted by the goalkeeper and into the boards.  Just 40 seconds later, Virginia answered to re-knot the score 2-2, and in the 56th minute, scored off a penalty corner to go ahead 3-2.  The Tribe had one last chance late, earning a corner as time expired.  Playing the untimed opportunity to try and force overtime, Lloyd's first shot was saved, but the rebound fell to Ellis, whose shot slide just inches wide of the post.  For the game W&M faced a 16-10 deficit in shots, and 5-2 behind on corners.  Freshman Morgan Connor (Bedford, N.Y.) made four saves in goal.

William & Mary closes out its home schedule this weekend with Homecoming festivities.  On Friday night, Oct. 14, the Tribe hosts Drexel at 6 p.m. in a key CAA match-up that is also W&M's "Think Pink" game in support of breast cancer awareness, research, and treatment.  On Sunday, W&M welcomes No. 17 Wake Forest to town at 1 pm., and before the game, the Tribe will take a moment to recognize its five-member senior class.