The William & Mary field hockey team dominated in the opening 30 minutes and scored a brace in the second period, a total that would prove enough to up-end Drexel 2-1 on Thursday at Busch Field. With the win, its sixth-straight at home, the Tribe improves to 1-1 overall and 1-1 in Colonial Athletic Association play, while the Dragons fall to 2-2 (1-1 CAA).
After taking just five shots in the season opener last week, W&M came out on fire on Thursday and blew past that total in the first four minutes. The Tribe took seven shots total in the first period with three of them on-frame, including a beauty from senior
Ashley Drum (Virginia Beach, Va.) that was batted off the line in the fourth minute by a Drexel defender. On the other end of the field, the defense was stout, allowing only one shot total that was blocked away before it could reach freshman goalkeeper
Maddie George (Virginia Beach, Va.).
W&M kept up the pressure in the second quarter as well, out-shooting the Dragons 7-0 and tacking on a third penalty corner. The Tribe finally broke through in the 25th minute, as senior captain
Ella Donahue (Midlothian, Va.) threaded a pass from the 23-meter line forward into the circle and found Drum just about at the level of the penalty spot above the far post. Drum was uncontested with her shot behind the defense, and scored what would prove to be her first career game-winning goal.
Just over three minutes later, W&M made it 2-nil. Once again it was the long entry setting up the score, this time as freshman
Jayden Moon (Spotsylvania, Va.) split the defense and found sophomore
Lily Saunders (Mount Joy, Pa.) at the near post for the tip-in past the goalkeeper. That was the first career point for Moon, and just the second goal for Saunders.
Drexel drew within a goal just four minutes into the second half. Avery Powell tipped in a pass from Puk Thewessen on the left side of the circle for the Dragons' lone goal of the afternoon.
The Dragons totaled six of its seven shots in the final 30 minutes, but the Tribe defense held strong. Coming on at the break, junior
Kimi Jones (Virginia Beach, Va.) made a trio of saves in the final 30 minutes, including an impressive 1v1 stop in the third quarter.
Starters
W&M –
Maddie George (GK),
Audrey Domovich,
Lily Saunders,
Sally Snead,
Grace Cornbrooks,
Haley Hopkins,
Ella Donahue,
Tabby Billingham,
Cara Menges,
Ashley Drum,
Lauren Curran
Drexel – Megan Hadfield, Amber Brouwer, Isabel Jacobs, Eline Di Leva, Katie Ronan, Cailey Lever, Liz Chipman, Stepie Oleykowski, Puk Thewessen, Avery Powell, Chandler McFeeley
New and Notes
Senior
Ashley Drum scored her third career goal and first of the season … It was also her first career game-winning goal … Senior
Ella Donahue has scored at least one point in all four of her years … Sophomore
Lily Saunders scored her second career goal … Freshman
Jayden Moon recorded her first career assist … Freshman
Maddie George made her first career start in goal for the Tribe and was not test en route to her first collegiate win … Junior
Kimi Jones made three saves in relief in the second half … The Tribe out-shot Drexel 19-7 on the game, and had a 5-1 advantage in penalty corners.
Up Next
The Tribe returns to action when it travels to Hofstra on Saturday, April 3. The match carries a 1 p.m. start time from Hempstead, N.Y.
