MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — Freshman Brown Huffard scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season as William & Mary men's soccer battled Charleston to a 1-1 draw Saturday afternoon at Ralph Lundy Field at Patriots Point.
Huffard found the back of the net in the 34th minute off assists from sophomore Beckham Harris and senior Gabe Ruitenberg, answering Charleston's opening goal just nine minutes earlier.
The draw moved William & Mary to 7-5-2 overall and 2-2-2 in CAA play, while Charleston moved to 7-3-4 overall and 2-2-3 in conference action.
Huffard, a three-time CAA Rookie of the Week selection, has now scored in three consecutive games, totaling four goals during that stretch. The freshman leads the Green and Gold with seven goals and ranks third on the team with 15 points.
Ruitenberg recorded his team-leading ninth assist of the season, moving his point total to a team-best 17 on four goals and nine assists. The senior has now recorded five assists over his last three games.
Harris added his first assist of the season, bringing his point total to seven on three goals and an assist.
William & Mary held a 13-9 advantage in shots, including an 8-2 edge in the second half. The Tribe put three shots on goal compared to Charleston's two, while the Cougars held a 9-5 advantage in corner kicks.
Senior Diego Garciarena made one save in goal for the Tribe, bringing his season total to 47.
The result extended W&M's unbeaten streak to three games following consecutive 4-0 victories over Howard and Navy.
First Half
Charleston applied pressure early, earning four corner kicks in the opening six minutes before Kira Fukuda registered the Cougars' first shot in the 14th minute.
Garciarena was called into action in the 19th minute, making a save on an attempt from Matt Lenert to keep the game scoreless.
The Tribe generated their first opportunity in the 21st minute when Harris registered a shot, but his attempt missed the target.
Charleston broke through at the 24:45 mark when Arnau Ollé scored off an assist from Dan Toulson, giving the Cougars a 1-0 advantage.
William & Mary responded with a stretch of offensive pressure as Ruitenberg and Harris registered shots in the 28th minute before senior Evan Rabush forced a save from Charleston goalkeeper Marten Brink in the 33rd.
The Tribe found the equalizer at the 33:22 mark when Huffard scored his seventh goal of the season off assists from Harris and Ruitenberg, tying the game at 1-1.
Charleston continued to create opportunities late in the opening half, with Lenert registering three additional shots over the final seven minutes.
The Cougars finished the first half with a 7-5 advantage in shots and a 9-0 edge in corner kicks, but the teams entered halftime tied at 1-1.
Second Half
William & Mary came out aggressively after the break, with Harris forcing a save from Brink in the 50th minute.
Rabush followed with a shot in the 53rd minute before freshman Aidan Gatchell sent an attempt wide in the 54th.
The Tribe continued to apply pressure as Rabush registered two more attempts in the 60th minute, while Ruitenberg sent a shot high in the 63rd.
Sophomore Damen Burney added another opportunity in the 73rd minute, but his attempt missed the target.
W&M maintained control of the offensive opportunities throughout the second half, earning five corner kicks while holding Charleston without one.
The Cougars managed just two shots after halftime, with Michiharu Takanashi missing high in the 56th minute and Fukuda registering an attempt in the 80th.
Junior Thor Sigurjonsson recorded the Tribe's final shot in the 85th minute before W&M earned two late corner kicks.
Neither team found the go-ahead goal as the Tribe secured the 1-1 road draw.
CAA Picture
With the draw, William & Mary sit fourth in the CAA South Division standings with eight points and a 2-2-2 conference record.
Charleston remain one point ahead of the Tribe in third place with nine points and a 2-2-3 record, while Elon also have nine points. UNCW lead the division with 15 points and a perfect 5-0 conference record.
W&M have two conference games remaining, while Charleston have just one, giving the Tribe a game in hand as the regular season approaches its conclusion.
Up Next
William & Mary continue CAA action Saturday, Oct. 24, traveling to face Campbell in Buies Creek, N.C. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
The Tribe then travel to North Carolina on Tuesday, Oct. 27, for a 6 p.m. game before returning home to close the regular season against No. 20 UNCW on Saturday, Oct. 31. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field, with the game streamed live on FloCollege.
