WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – William & Mary field hockey rallied from a 3-1 deficit with 11 minutes remaining, but Longwood pulled out a wild, 4-3, win at Busch Field on Sunday afternoon.
 
Junior Lauren Curran and sophomore Maddie McGaughey each scored their first collegiate goals on the afternoon, while junior Sally Snead scored for the first time this season and the second in her career.
 
After the Lancers (3-2) took a 3-1 lead less than four minutes into the final period, the Tribe started its furious comeback. Just 46 seconds after going down two goals, W&M pulled one back off a penalty corner in the 50th minute. Junior Tabby Billingham played the ball toward goal from the right flank but Longwood goalkeeper Madison Nuckols got a pad to it deflecting it out. It fell to McGaughey who pushed it into the left side boards to close the gap to 3-2.
 
W&M (0-4) used another penalty corner to its advantage, drawing event at three with 8:08 remaining. On the play, Billingham carried the ball to the right side of the area, before passing back to classmate Sally Snead. The Tribe midfielder's one-timer found the boards and tied the match.
 
Longwood answered back in just 16 seconds. The Lancers immediately worked the ball down the left side of the field off the restart. Isis Vrolijks carried to the left endline and sent a low cross that made it through the Tribe defense to the back post where Kate Frey pushed it across to give the Lancers the lead for good at 4-3.
 
W&M had a penalty corner with just 20 seconds remaining to find the equalizer. Unfortunately, freshman Boowa Zarcone's shot was blocked away and the clock expired.
 
Each team scored in the opening five minutes of the game to get the contest off to a quick start. The Tribe struck first less than a minute into the contest. On the play, sophomore Jayden Moon sent the ball in from the right wing and the Longwood goalkeeper got to it and kicked it back out. The clearance failed as Curran stepped in front to intercept. She gathered, touched around the on-rushing GK and pushed into the left side boards to give W&M a 1-0 lead.
 
Longwood answered in the fifth minute, scoring off its second of two-straight penalty corners. Kolbey Donahue scored on a shot from the top of the circle with Luna Lopez inserting and Maroussia Walckiers providing the stick stop. The contest remained 1-1 for the remainder of the opening half.
 
After senior goalkeeper Kimi Jones came up with a big 1v1 stop for the Tribe, the Lancers generated a corner chance and used it to take the lead with less than three minutes remaining in the third period. The ball was played to the top of the circle for Donahue, who dribbled in and passed to the back post. Hunter-Paige Johnson was there to push it across, giving the visitors a 2-1 lead.
 
Longwood extended the lead to 3-1 in the 49th minute. Jamie Wright sent in a pass from the right flank toward the left side of the area and Vrolijks swept it into the left side boards.
 
W&M Starters - #00 Jones, #3 Domovich, #4 Saunders, #5 Snead, #6 Cornbrooks, #8 Friedman, #9 McGaughey, #10 Bode, #12 Moon, #14 Billingham, #33 Curran
 
Longwood Starters - #62 Nuckols, #2 Lopez, #3 Vrolijks, #5 Weber, #6 Donahue, #9 Verhappen, #14 Loscher, #21 Frey, #23 Toddy, #27 Lazaro, #30 Walckiers
 
Scoring Summary
1' | W&M – Lauren Curran (unassisted)
5' | Longwood – Kolbey Donahue (Luna Lopez/Maroussia Walckiers
43' | Longwood – Hunter-Paige Johnson (Kolbey Donahue)
49' | Longwood – Isis Vrolijks (Jamie Wright)
50' | W&M – Maddie McGaughey (unassisted)
52' | W&M – Sally Snead (Tabby Billingham)
53' | Longwood – Kate Frey (Isis Vrolijks)
 
Inside the Numbers
- W&M outshot Longwood, 17-13, including a 13-8, advantage in the second half.
- Longwood generated 12 penalty corner opportunities compared to W&M's eight.
- Each team put eight shots on goal.
- Senior Kimi Jones recorded three saves, while Longwood's Madison Nuchols had four.
- Juniors Grace Cornbrooks and Sally Snead led W&M with four shots apiece.  
 
Notes
Junior Lauren Curran and sophomore Maddie McGaughey each scored their first collegiate goals … Junior Sally Snead scored her first goal of the 2021 fall campaign and the second of her career … Junior Tabby Billingham picked up her second assist of the season and third of her career … Junior Audrey Domovich recorded her second career defensive save and first this season in the second period.
 
Up Next
The Tribe returns to action on Sunday, Sept. 19, when it travels to No. 11 Liberty. The match carries a 2 p.m. start time.