WILLIAMSBURG, Va.— William & Mary (2-0-2) women's soccer wraps up their non-conference schedule with a pair of in-state opponents when the Tribe hosts George Mason (0-4-0) on Thursday and travels to Old Dominion (4-0-0) on Sunday. Kickoff times are set for 7 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively, with Thursday's game broadcast on FloFC and Sunday's on ESPN+.
The home match with the Patriots is part of a Thursday soccer double-header at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field, as W&M men's soccer takes on New Hampshire at 1 p.m.
TRIBE NOTES:
Last Time Out:
William & Mary remained unbeaten with a 1-1 draw against VCU on Sunday afternoon in their home opener. The visitors popped out to a 1-0 lead in the first half, the only goal allowed by the Tribe this season, before
Ivey Crain provided the tying goal in the 87
th minute. Crain received a long pass from
Ginny Delacruz and lofted a high-arching half-volley that found the net to salvage a tie for the hosts.
Better Late Than Never:
W&M was stymied by the Rams' backline on Sunday for the first 45 minutes, registering no shots in the first half. However, coach
Julie Shackford's squad came out rejuvenated in the second half outshooting VCU 8-3 and dictating the tempo for the rest of the game, culminating in the late equalizer.
Turning Back the Clock:
William & Mary enters their fifth match of the season unbeaten for the first time since 2017. Current volunteer assistant
John Daly was at the helm of that squad who began the year 4-0-0 with victories over Providence, Boston College, Fairleigh Dickinson and Bucknell.
With a win or a draw on Thursday, the Green and Gold would be unbeaten through five matches for the first time since 2013 and only the fourth time in the last 20 years. Among the teams to accomplish the feat are the 2011 Tribe, who finished the year 17-3-2 and won the CAA Championship.
What's a Sophomore Slump?:
Reigning CAA Freshman of the Year,
Ivey Crain, has shown no signs of slowing down in her second year with the Tribe. An All-CAA First Team selection a season ago, Crain has picked up three goals in the first four matches of the season. She also was the catalyst behind the own goal conceded by Richmond in the Tribe's 1-0 victory over the Spiders. Crain sits tied for the conference lead in goals scored and shots on goal per game this year.
You'll Get Nothing and Like It!:
The Tribe are one of only 28 teams in the nation to allow one goal or less through their first four matches. After surrendering their first tally of the season in the first half Sunday, the Green and Gold responded by allowing only three shots in the second half and none on-frame.
Zoe Doughty and
Morgan Wood have turned away seven of the eight shots allowed on goal this season, while the backline has only allowed 30 total shot attempts compared to the 60 generated by the Tribe attack so far. William & Mary leads the CAA in goals against average.
Series History:
Thursday's tilt will be first meeting since 2014 and the 44
th all-time between W&M and George Mason. The Tribe leads the series 23-14-6 and are 8-7-4 against the Patriots when playing the role of host. William & Mary won that last 2014 meeting by a score of 1-0, Mason hasn't beaten the Tribe since 2010.
The Tribe have dominated the series against Old Dominion, winning 24 of the 30 all-time meetings. W&M visits the ODU Soccer Complex, where they are 8-2, for just the third time since 2012. The Tribe won last year's meeting in Williamsburg by a score of 1-0.
Scouting the Patriots:
George Mason enters Thursday's matchup searching for their first win or draw of the season. Coach Manya Puppione's team is also still in search of their first goal of the season. The Patriots are coming off a 4-0 loss to Virginia on Sunday and have lost all four of their contests by scores of 3-0 or 4-0. That includes a 3-0 loss to ODU. George Mason was picked 14th in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll.
Sophie Davidson is the returning leading scorer for Mason after posting three goals in her freshman season. Milan Pierre-Jerome returns as a junior for the Patriots after posting a team-high four assists a season ago.
Scouting the Monarchs:
Through their first four games Old Dominion is not only 4-0-0, but one of 13 teams in the country to not have surrendered a goal yet. The Monarchs and Tribe share common opponents in VCU and Richmond. W&M went 1-0-1 against the A-10 pair, while ODU picked up a 1-0 win against Richmond and a 2-0 victory over VCU. They take on Virginia Tech on Thursday before hosting the Tribe on Sunday. The Monarchs were picked third in the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Poll.
Ece Turkoglu and Thalia Morisi each have a pair of goals this year for the Monarchs. Turkoglu also has an assist to lead the team in points so far with five. Madison Micheletti has a team-high two assists for coach Andie Hind's squad.
