WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary women's soccer team opens the 2017-18 W&M athletic schedule as they travel to James Madison for the JMU Invitational this weekend. The Tribe squares off with Providence on Friday, Aug. 18, before playing Boston College on Sunday, Aug. 20. Kickoffs are scheduled for 4:30 PM and 11:30 AM, respectively.
As part of TribeAthletics.com five-part series, check out the 'It's Time' feature for women's soccer, by clicking
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TribeAthletics.com caught up with head women's soccer coach
John Daly to discuss the preseason, hopes for the regular season, and the upcoming matches with Providence and Boston College. The video preview is available through the above link, or by clicking
here.
Scouting the Tribe
W&M opens the regular season as they travel to James Madison for a regular season tournament this weekend, squaring off against Providence and Boston College. The Tribe enters 2017 coming off of a 10 win season, its fifth straight CAA Semifinal appearance, and its NCAA record 36th consecutive winning season. The Green and Gold returns 21 players from last year's roster, including its top two leading point scorers redshirt sophomore
Sarah Segan (10 goals, two assists, 22 points) and senior
Rachel Moore (six goals, five assists, 17 points), who earned All-CAA Second-Team and All-CAA First-Team honors, respectively, last season. The Tribe also returns seniors
Elysse Branton and
Haley Kent, who were All-CAA honorees last season. The Tribe returns three goalkeepers that saw action last season in redshirt senior
Grace Smith, senior
Samantha Johnson, and sophomore
Katelyn Briguglio. Smith (11 games, nine starts) and Johnson (10 games, nine starts) saw a bulk of the action last year. As a team, W&M boasted a 1.35 goals-against average, 92 saves, and six shutouts.
Scouting the Friars
Providence opens the regular season on Friday afternoon as well. The Friars posted a 11-6-2 record in 2016 and are picked to finish fifth in the Big East this season. Providence will have to replace its top two-leading scorers from last season, but does return Casey Estey, who was its third leading scorer. She finished the season with two goals, six assists, and 10 points. The Friars will also have to replace their goalkeeper from last season, Kristyn Shea. Makayla Brady or Shelby Hogan will fill the spot in 2017.
Scouting the Eagles
Boston College heads to Virginia to open its 2017 season, doing so against James Madison on Friday night. The Eagles finished last season with a 11-7-1 record. Like Providence, BC will have to replace its top two point scorers from last year. Laruen Berman, the third-leading scorer from 2016, is back after scoring four goals, eight assists, and 16 points. Alexis Bryant, who started 17 games last season, is back in goal for Boston College after posting 1.15 goals-against-average last season. Meredith Thompson, who played one match last season, is also a returner with experience between the pipes.
Series History vs. Providence
W&M and Providence meet for just the second time in series history on Friday afternoon. The Tribe won the previous meeting 1-0 in 1988, and leads the all-time series 1-0-0.
Series History vs. Boston College
The Green and Gold do battle with Boston College for the seventh time in series history in Sunday's matinee. The Tribe leads the all-time series 4-1, but this will be the first meeting since 1990. W&M picked up a 3-0 victory the last time the two teams met.
What's Ahead
After this weekend's action, W&M returns to Williamsburg for its home opening weekend. The Tribe plays host to Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. for its opener. W&M welcomes 2016 NCAA Tournament participant Bucknell to Albert-Daly Field on Sunday, Aug. 27 at 2 p.m. to close out the homestand.
Slated for Second
The William & Mary women's soccer team was selected to finish second in the CAA in the 2017 CAA Preseason Poll voted on by the league's 10 head coaches. Defending champion Northeastern was selected to repeat, while Drexel and James Madison were selected in a tie for third, Hofstra (fifth), UNCW (sixth), College of Charleston (seventh), Delaware (tied for eighth), Elon (tied for eighth), and Towson (10th) rounded out the poll behind the Tribe.
Five for Fighting
The Green and Gold was well represented in the league's preseason all-conference awards, receiving a CAA-high five honorees. Seniors
Elysse Branton and
Rachel Moore as well as sophomore
Sarah Segan highlighted the awards with 2017 Preseason All-CAA honors, while senior
Haley Kent and junior
Mackenzie Kober earned honorable mention citations.
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.
Segan Scores Early, Often
Redshirt sophomore
Sarah Segan returns for her second season with the Green and Gold after leading the team in goals in 2016. She scored 10 goals last season, with nine of her 10 markers coming in the first half.
We Want Moore
Senior
Rachel Moore has been named to an All-CAA team following each of the her three previous seasons. Last year, she was tabbed to the First-Team All-CAA after finishing second on the team with six goals, five assists, and 17 points. She has appeared in 60 games (most active) with 58 starts. Moore has notched 15 goals, 12 assists, and 42 points.
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.
