WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Led by first-year head coach
Kelyn Freedman, the William & Mary lacrosse team will open its
2025 slate when it plays at Coastal Carolina on Saturday at noon.
The game will be broadcast via
GoCCUSports.com, while live stats will also be available at
GoCCUSports.com.
Complete game day information is available below.
A Look at the Tribe
With 10 returning players who started at least seven games last season, W&M enters the upcoming campaign eager to challenge for a spot among the upper echelon in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA). Led by first-year head coach
Kelyn Freedman, the Tribe brings back 94.5 percent (155/164 goals) of its scoring from last season. Leading that talented group is
All-CAA standout senior
Paige Gilbert (34g, 3a) as well as juniors
Maresa Moyer (17g, 6a) and
Kate Draddy (16g, 12a). Highlighting the Tribe's talented defensive unit will be junior
Jaylin Locke, who totaled a team-high 16 caused turnovers last season, and starting goalie
Marin Wilhelm.
Scouting Coastal Carolina
After winning the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference title and earning a bid to the NCAA Championships, Coastal Carolina was recently selected to repeat as the ASUN champions by the league office. The Chanticleers are led by a trio of standouts who earned preseason all-conference honors – goalie Charlotte Sadler (161 saves, .439 save percentage), Sydney McClure (43g, 33a) and Evelyn Kitchin (86 DC), who was selected as the 2024 ASUN Freshman of the Year.
| Matchup At A Glance (2024 Final Stats) |
|
W&M / Opp. |
CCU / Opp. |
| Goals Avg. |
9.6 / 14.8 |
13.4 / 11.7 |
| Shooting % |
.398 / .453 |
.487 / .404 |
| Assists |
63 / 122 |
135 / 113 |
| Ground Balls |
256 / 327 |
268 / 278 |
| Draw Controls |
211 / 254 |
301 / 261 |
| Turnovers |
289 / 250 |
271 / 269 |
| Caused Turnovers |
92 / 149 |
147 / 145 |
W&M-Coastal All-Time Series
Coastal owns a 2-1 edge in the all-time series and won the last matchup, 22-10, in Conway in 2022. The teams' first meeting came during the 2014 season in Williamsburg, which W&M won, 12-8.
Last Meeting vs. Coastal Carolina
W&M fell at Coastal Carolina, 22-10, on March 16, 2022. Although W&M jumped out to a 2-1 lead early in the contest, CCU utilized a 10-1 run to build an eight-goal margin midway through the second quarter. W&M responded by tallying the final five goals of the second quarter to trail by just three at halftime, 12-9. However, CCU outscored the Tribe 10-1 following the intermission to earn the non-conference victory. Grace Ahonen led the Tribe offensively with a career-high five points (3g, 2a), while Belle Martire (3g) and
Sam Van Gieson (3g) also recorded hat tricks. Sarah Cipolla tallied a team-high nine draw controls.
Season Openers
W&M owns a 36-18-1 all-time record in season openers. Many of those contests have come against outstanding competition, as nine of W&M's last 15 season openers have come against nationally ranked opponents, which includes seven ranked among the top five during the recent span.
Record Watch
Senior
Ainsley Huizenga currently ranks seventh all-time at W&M in draw controls (112) and needs just four more to pass Colleen Dalon for sixth in the Tribe's all-time record book.
Kate Draddy enters her junior season ranked 24th at W&M with 79 draw controls, while senior
Paige Gilbert is close behind with 73.
Overtime Success
Although W&M fell at Campbell in overtime, 14-13, in last season's finale, the Tribe has won four of its last six OT games dating back to 2019.
Seizing the Moment
Since the start of the 2023 season, W&M has posted a 5-3 record in games decided by just one goal.
Team Captains
W&M will be led by a quartet of team captains this season -
Paige Gilbert,
Kate Draddy,
Claire Doto and
Sophia Chiodo Ortiz - as head coach
Kelyn Freedman announced the selections at the conclusion of the fall.
Academic Excellence
During the fall,
W&M Athletics was once again recognized for its academic excellence as it recorded the highest Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) among all Division I public institutions. Lax helped lead the way and earned a 100% GSR for the seventh straight season.
Lax Spring Alumnae Weekend
W&M Lax is excited to welcome back former members of the program this season, as it will host its Spring Alumnae Weekend on Feb. 28-March 1.
Complete details, including a registration link, are available here.
Up Next
Following this weekend's season opener at Coastal Carolina, W&M will return to action when it hosts George Washington at Martin Family Stadium on Feb. 15 at noon.
