WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – William & Mary field hockey twice rallied from goal deficits to pull even against CAA regular season champion James Madison on Friday night at Busch Field. The No. 23-ranked Dukes, though, answered each time, including the game-winner in the 51st minute to cement their place atop of the league standings.
 
The Tribe received goals from junior Lauren Curran and freshman Pyper Friedman. Senior Cara Menges notched her team-leading fourth assist and sixth defensive save.

Prior to the start of the match, W&M honored its three-member senior class of Menges, Kimi Jones and Rachel Gantz. The trio have played integral roles in the program and helped lead the Tribe to the 2018 CAA Championship. 

The Tribe (3-12, 3-3 CAA)  got on the board first as Curran scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season. She carried the ball from right side of the circle, through a number of JMU defenders, to the center of the area and swept a shot into the left side boards to give W&M a 1-0 lead.
 
JMU equalized off a penalty corner less than two minutes later. Eveline Zwager sent a hard pass to the center of the circle from the left side. Courtney Lynch drove toward the ball and redirected it into the right side of the cage to tie the game at one.
 
The Dukes took their first lead with just 34 seconds remaining in the first half. Senior goalkeeper Kimi Jones blocked the initial shot from the top of the circle, but Zwager jumped on the rebound and was able to push it around Jones to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
 
W&M pushed for the equalizer in the latter stages of the third period and to start the fourth. The Tribe placed the only three shots of the third quarter on goal over the final five minutes. The Green and Gold finally pulled even off the second in a sequence of penalty corners in the 50th minute. On the play, Menges played the ball back to the near post where Friedman beat the goalkeeper to the left side boards to tie the contest at two. It was Friedman's second goal of the season.
 
JMU retook the lead for good just a minute and a half later on a fortunate bounce. Off a free hit from the outside the circle, Caroline Cahill passed to the near post. The pass caught a deflection off the sticks of Zwager and W&M goalkeeper Maddie George. It sat in the crease for a second before Cassid Strittmatter won the race to the ball, flipping into the upper part of the cage for the winner.
 
Jones finished with five saves in cage over three quarters, while George added four in the final frame. JMU outshot the Tribe, 16-7, on the night and had an 8-2 advantage in penalty corners.