By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics

Last spring, in an abbreviated women's soccer season, William & Mary was third among the Colonial Athletic Association's 10 teams in shots with 14.2 per game. Yet the Tribe averaged only 0.5 goals per game, which was next to last in the conference.
 
So it's no surprise what the main point of emphasis is going into the fall season, which begins next Thursday at American University. Yep, that so-important but not-so-simple matter of putting the ball in the net.
 
"Our stuff in and around the box is so good," said Julie Shackford '88, who is going into her fourth season as head coach. "We're getting looks. We're just not technically finishing well.
 
"I can't tell you how many posts and crossbars we hit in the spring. Finishing is the hardest part of the game, but I would be more worried if we weren't getting good looks. We just need to be sharper around the goal and more composed."
 
William & Mary finished 0-3-3 last spring. The Tribe failed to score in four of its games, including a 1-0 loss to UNC Wilmington in which it outshot the Seahawks 15-6.
 
Shackford is hoping an offseason change in the coaching staff will help. The legendary John Daly, who won 413 games as W&M's head coach from 1987-2017, is back as a volunteer assistant. His main responsibility is working with the scorers.
 
"JD has really taken ahold of that group," Shackford said.
 
Shackford believes she has several capable scorers. That list includes seniors Renee Kohler, Caroline Monahan and Hannah Potter, junior Kayleigh Shackford (her daughter), and sophomores Elaina Longjohn, Ginny Delacruz and Kenna Zier.
 
Defensively, the Tribe was sixth in the conference in goals allowed at 1.5 per game. Junior Zoe Doughty (19 saves, 1.2 goals against average) and sophomore Grace Lemley (3, 1.82) are back. Shackford also likes freshman Morgan Wood.
 
Returning defenders include seniors Page Frantz and Addie Puskar, junior Sophie Geslao, and sophomore Nicole Sellers and Bridget Fitzpatrick. Midfielders coming back include senior Zoe Smith and junior Jillian O'Toole.
 
Of the 30 players on W&M's roster, 10 are freshmen and eight are sophomores. Because last season was shortened because of COVID-19, the sophomores didn't lose a year of eligibility. Which is why Shackford refers to her sophomores as "freshmen 2.0."
 
Shackford called this one her youngest rosters in 27 years as a head coach.
 
"Both classes are competing really hard and doing really well, but there are some ups and downs in their training, which is normal for freshmen," Shackford said. "I don't think things will shake out with lineups until we get through this first scrimmage because there are so many new kids."
 
The Tribe, which was picked seventh in the CAA's preseason poll, will play George Mason Saturday at 6 p.m. at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field. Although it's a scrimmage, it will be the first sporting event open to all fans at William & Mary since the women's basketball team hosted James Madison on March 7, 2020.
 
In its two home games last spring, W&M played at the Dillard Complex on Ironbound Road.
 
"It'll be the first time we've been in Albert-Daly in two years," said Shackford, whose team last hosted at its home field on Oct. 27, 2019. "That's so cool."
 
After opening the season at American, the Tribe will visit Virginia Tech on Aug. 22 before its home opener against Old Dominion on Aug. 26.
 
"I think we're going to be exciting to watch and we're going to be a lot deeper," Shackford said. "We'll focus on being sharper around the goal and hopefully start the turn the corner this fall."