The No. 18 William & Mary field hockey team made a stellar defensive effort, but was unable to get past No. 10 Boston College Sunday, falling 3-0 at home.  The Tribe is now 5-3 on the year, with all three losses coming to top-10 teams, while the Eagles improved to 6-2 overall.

The Eagles coming out firing early and often, but sophomore goalkeeper Morgan Connor (Bedford, N.Y.) and her defensive line proved up to the task making save after save, often in quick reaction situations.  Three times in the first 20 minutes, Connor would make a terrific effort to save the first shot, but the BC attacker would grab the rebound and try to re-fire only to find the stick of a Tribe defender there to make the second save.  That was sophomore Cassidy Goodwin (Gloucester, Va.) in the ninth minute and again just two minutes later for her second defensive save of the afternoon and the season.  Then, in the 21st minute, senior Katherine Hull (Fredericksburg, Va.) made her first career defensive save.

Boston College finally broke through off their fourth and final penalty corner of the half, late in the 24th minute, score directly off the insertion when the ball skipped off a Tribe kneecap and over Connor.  W&M had good chance late at an equalizer, drawing a corner of its own in the final 30 seconds, but the first shot by Booter Ellis (Delmar, Del.) was saved and the second attempt by Estelle Hughes (Newcastle, NSW) was blocked by a defender out front.  In the half, W&M made nine total saves, with six from Connor.

The second half saw more of the same, with Connor standing on her head to stop shot after shot by Boston College.  The Tribe offense began getting more assertive as well, controlling play for long stretches but just unable to break through.  In the 58th minute, senior captain Erin Menges (Richmond, Va.) gave W&M one of its best chances of the half, driving in on the baseline and rifling a pass to Cammie Lloyd (Midlothian, Va.) who was sliding in on her knees at the near post.  Lloyd got her stick on the ball and angled it towards cage, but the ball slid just an inch wide and struck the post instead.  After BC got two insurance goals on counter attacks as W&M pressed forward, the Tribe had one final opportunity at a goal, earning a corner as the horn sounded.  Lloyd's shot was again just wide, finding the post once again to bring the day to a close.  Connor finished with a career-best 14 saves to lead the defense, the most for a W&M goalkeeper since 2009.

W&M Starters: Connor (GK), Menges, Snead, Days, van de Kamp, Hughes, McCarthy, Ellis, Goodwin, Lloyd, MacLeod
BC Starters: Dwyer (GK), Rose Gote, Natale, miller, Matherson, Lytle, Dennehy, Wood, Govaert, Haverhals, Olenick

Inside the Numbers
- W&M's 17 total saves were the most for the Tribe since making 18 against Old Dominion on Nov. 10, 2002.  On the other end of the field, BC goalkeeper Sarah Dwyer made four saves.
- Penalty corners were 6-4 for the Eagles, 4-3 in the first half and 2-1 in the second.
- Boston College won the shots, 24-8, out-shooting the Tribe 13-4 in the first half and 11-4 in the second.

Notes
Morgan Connor's 14 saves were the most for a Tribe goalkeeper since Carrie Thompson '10 had 15 against James Madison on Oct. 23, 2009 ... The Tribe's three defensive saves today were the most since making four against Old Dominion on Oct. 30, 2005 ... All three of W&M's losses this season have come to top-10 ranked ACC teams ... The Tribe is now 49-49 (.500) all-time as a ranked team.

Up Next
William & Mary continues its five-match homestand next weekend, hosting No. 24 Pacific on Friday night at 7 PM and La Salle on Sunday at noon.