WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary women's soccer team continues CAA Tournament play as they travel to top-seeded and host Hofstra for a CAA Semifinal on Friday, Nov. 3. Kickoff between the Tribe and Pride is set for 7 p.m.
TribeAthletics.com caught up with head coach
John Daly to discuss last weekend's CAA Quarterfinal win at James Madison, the recent play of senior
Rachel Moore, and the upcoming match with Hofstra. The video feature is available through the above link or by clicking
here.
Scouting the Tribe
W&M (8-9-2, 3-4-2 CAA) earned the No. 5 seed in the 2017 CAA Championship and continue its championship quest as they travel to Hofstra for the CAA Semifinals on Friday. Heading into the match, the Tribe is unbeaten in five of its last six games. Second-Team All-CAA Selection redshirt sophomore
Sarah Segan leads the Tribe with 20 points on eight goals and four assists and has scored in five goals in the last seven games. Three seniors have added double-digit points this season for the Tribe starting with First-Team All-CAA Selection
Rachel Moore, who has five goals, four assists, and 14 points, senior
Elysse Branton, who picked up first-team honors, as well. has five goals, three assists, and 14 points, while senior
Sami Grasso rounds the group out with four goals, four assists, and 12 points. The Tribe has played three goalies this season – senior
Samantha Johnson, sophomore
Katelyn Briguglio, and redshirt senior
Grace Smith. Smith has seen the most action in goal making 13 consecutive starts. She owns a 2.01 goals-against-average, 46 saves, and a shutout. Johnson has come on in relief in three of the last four contests and has now seen action in four matches with a start, posting 1.58 goals-against-average, and six saves.
Scouting the Pride
Hofstra earned the No. 1 seed and the right to host after posting a perfect 9-0 record and posted a 13-3-2 record for the regular season. The Pride has won 11-straight games and are unbeaten in its last 18 games. CAA Player of the Year Kristin Desmond leads the attack with nine goals, three asssits, and 21 points. Jenn Buoncore is also in double figures with points scoring four goals, four assists and 12 points. Ashley Wilson (16 games, six starts) and Jenna Borresen (13 games, 12 starts) have both shared action in goal for the Pride. Wilson owns a 0.98 goals, against average, 50 saves, and six wins, while Borressen has posted a 0.14 goals-agaisnt-average, 20 saves, two shutouts, and seven wins. Aside from Desmond's Player of the Year Award, Madeline Anderson was named CAA Defensive Player of the Year and head coach Simon Riddiough was tabbed the CAA Coach of the Year.
Series History vs. Hofstra
W&M and Hofstra meet for the 21st time in series history in the CAA Semifinals on Friday night. The Tribe leads the all-time series by a 11-7-2, but the Pride won the regular season meeting 3-1 in Williamsburg earlier this season. The Pride scored the first three goals from Lucy Porter, Kristin Desmond, and Jenn Buoncore scored Hofstra's goal, before
Sarah Segan got the Tribe on the board. This will be the first postseason meeting between the two schools since the 2012 season, when Hofstra topped the No. 1-seeded Tribe in penalty kicks in Williamsburg.
What's Ahead
The winner of Friday night's contest will advance to the CAA Championship match and play the winner of the first CAA Semifinal between Northeastern and Drexel. The match is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. at Hofstra Soccer Stadium. The game will be streamed on CollegeSportsLive/CBS Digital.
Three of a Kind
W&M had three student-athletes honored with All-CAA Awards the conference announced in its social media award show on Thursday afternoon. Seniors
Elysse Branton and
Rachel Moore were tabbed to the league's first-team, while redshirt sophomore
Sarah Segan picked up a second-team nod.
In the Semis Again
For the sixth straight season, the William & Mary women's soccer team is in the CAA Semifinals. The Tribe is the only team in the CAA that has appeared in the last six semifinals.
Postseason Bound
For the seventh straight season, the William & Mary women's soccer team has qualified for the CAA postseason. The Tribe has advanced to the CAA Semifinals in each of the last five seasons and has appeared in one CAA Championship match. The Tribe's last league title came in 2011.
Weekly Awards
The Tribe has had five players honored by the CAA with weekly awards. Redshirt sophomore
Sarah Segan and senior
Elysse Branton were tabbed the CAA Player of the Week and the CAA Defensive Player of the Week for the final awards of the season. Segan registered a goal and an assist, while Branton scored the game-winner in the vicoty over Towson on Oct. 22. Previously, Segan was named the CAA Player of the Week for the week Oct 9 after scoring the equalizer in the draw at Elon and scoring both goals in the win against Delaware. Sophomore
Charlotte Hyland was tabbed the CAA Player of the Week for the week of Aug. 28. Hyland registered her first career hat trick in the win over Bucknell after firing two shots in 75 minutes versus Fairleigh Dickinson. Earlier this season, freshman
Erin Dailey took home W&M first weekly award of the season by being named the CAA Rookie of the Week for the week of Aug. 21. The freshman scored the game-winning goal against Providence, earned a pair of starts, and played 131 minutes in the midfield in the Tribe's win over Providence and Boston College.
We Want Moore
Senior
Rachel Moore has been named to an All-CAA team following every year of career. An All-CAA First-Team selection, she has scored five goals and four assists for 14 points this season. The senior has scored goals in each of the last four matches, and has points in the last five games. Moore has appeared in 79 games (most active) with 76 starts. Moore has notched 20 goals, 16 assists, and 56 points.
Bank on Branton
Senior
Elysse Branton has been a mainstay in the Tribe's lineup for her entire career, but has enjoyed a very strong final season in terms of points. Branton has set a career-high with five goals, three assists and 13 points. Against Fairleigh Dickinson, she recorded her first multi-point night of her career when she scored the first goal, before assisting on the game-winner. More recently, she has scored in the last three contests for the Tribe, including the game-winning goal against Towson in the regular season finale, and the game-winner in the CAA Quarterfinals against James Madison. For efforts this season, Branton earned her first All-CAA First-Team nod this season. The Sterling, Va. native has played in 77 career matches with 72 starts, and has added seven goals, 10 assists, and 24 points.
Grasso is Getting it Going
Senior
Sami Grasso has scored goals in three of the last six games for W&M. She found the back of the net to tie to score versus Elon on Oct. 5, before scoring the game-winning goal on Oct. 12 at UNCW, before getting the Tribe on the board just five minutes into the CAA Quarterfinal against James Madison. For the third straight season, Grasso is now in double-figures for points, scoring four goals, four assists, and 12 points this season. Grasso has played in 77 career games with 70 starts, scoring 14 goals, 11 assists, and 39 points.
Makes You Want to Stay
Three of the Tribe's last eight games have gone to overtime. The Tribe is 1-0-2 in overtime this season, earning draws against College of Charleston (0-0) and Elon (2-2), before topping Delaware (2-1).
Golden Goal
Redshirt sophomore
Sarah Segan recorded the Tribe's first golden goal of the season on Oct. 8 against Delaware. Senior
Haley Kent won the ball and a dangerous area, before sending a pass to Segan, who buried the winner in the 102nd minute, to lift W&M to a 2-1 over Delaware.
National Honor Rolls in for the Tribe
Sophomore
Charlotte Hyland was also tabbed to the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week for her effort against Bucknell. It was the first time the Tribe has had a player honored on that team since Nicole Baxter in 2015. Redshirt sophomore
Sarah Segan earned honorable mention for the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week following her three-goal week against Elon and Delaware.
Segan Scores Early, Often
Redshirt sophomore
Sarah Segan, who was a Second-Team All-CAA Selection this season, has been racking up the goal numbers since joining the Tribe last season. In 33 career games, she has already scored 18 goals. This season, the Fogelsville, Pa. native has scored eight goals, including two in the wins against Fairleigh Dickinson and Delaware. Of Segan's 18 career goals, 11 have come in the first half.
Keeping Up with Kober
Junior
Mackenzie Kober netted her second goal of the season in the Tribe's CAA Quarterfinal against James Madison, after scoring the team's lone goal against Wisconsin. Kober has scored eight career goals, six assists, and 22 points.
First Career Points
Sophomore
Sully Boulden recorded her first career point when she earned an assist on
Mackenzie Kober's goal in the 40th minute against Wisconsin. Earlier this season, freshman
Erin Dailey scored her first career goal and points as she netted the first goal of the season against Providence.
First Career Starts
The Tribe has had seven players make their first career start this season. Sophomore
Sully Boulden earned her first career start against Maryland, before freshman
Mariana Hershner picked up the starting nod at DePaul. Junior
Arundel Miguelez started for the first time against UNC Greensboro. Freshman
Courtney Miles joined the group getting the nod against James Madison. Rookie
Alex Kuhnle was the last player to earn her first career start as she got the nod in the draw versus Charleston. Earlier this season, freshman
Erin Dailey and redshirt freshman
Lauren Kelly made their first career starts in the season opener against Providence.
Tip of the Cap
Sophomore
Charlotte Hyland registered her first career hat trick in the team's win over Bucknell on Sunday, Aug. 27. It was the first Tribe hat trick since Samantha Cordum accomplished the feat in a 3-1 win over Northeastern on Sept. 27, 2015.
Familiar Faces
The Tribe welcomes back 21 players from last season's roster and including a good bulk of its scoring. W&M returns 80-percent of its goals and 90.5-percent of its points scorers from last year. The Tribe also returns its top five point scorers from last season.
Fresh Faces
Despite only losing four players from last year's roster, W&M welcomes 11 newcomers to the roster for the 2017 season. The Tribe welcomes one transfer – redshirt freshman
Lauren Kelly – and 10 true freshmen,
Meredith Beam,
Lorena Bugden,
Erin Dailey,
Page Frantz,
Sarah Haggerty,
Kelsey Hamer,
Mariana Hershner,
Alex Kuhnle,
Colleen Norton, and
Sophia Sanie.
Welcome Home
Former Tribe women's soccer player
Marsha Lycan '87 returns to Williamsburg as an assistant coach for the 2017 season. She appeared in 59 games for the Green and Gold, while she scored 12 goals, recorded seven assists, and 31 points. She helped the Tribe to the 1983 Division I ECAC Championship, before leading Tribe to three straight NCAA Tournaments from 1984-86. Lycan graduated from W&M with a degree psychology in 1987.
