BALTIMORE, Md. — William & Mary women's soccer opens the 2026 season Wednesday evening, traveling to Loyola Maryland for a 6 p.m. kickoff.
The matchup begins a two-game road swing for the Tribe to open its 16-match regular-season slate. Wednesday's contest will be streamed on ESPN+.
THE TRIBE. William & Mary enters its eighth full season under head coach Julie Shackford after posting a 7-7-4 overall record and a 5-2-2 mark in CAA play last season. The Tribe advanced to the CAA Tournament before its season came to an end with a 1-0 loss to Elon in the quarterfinals.
W&M returns plenty of production from last year's squad, led by senior midfielder Lindsay Wilson. Wilson finished second on the team with 10 points on four goals and two assists. Sophomore forward Ellie Leffler, the reigning CAA Rookie of the Year, tallied three goals and an assist for seven points, while sophomore midfielder Mia Abbey added a goal and three assists for five points.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION. Abbey was named to the Preseason All-CAA Team on Monday, while Wilson and senior defender Molly Widderich earned honorable mention recognition. The Tribe was selected to finish third in the CAA South Division preseason poll behind defending conference champion Elon and UNCW.
Abbey earned All-CAA Third Team and CAA All-Rookie Team honors during her freshman campaign, while Widderich joined her on the All-CAA Third Team. Widderich started all 18 matches and helped anchor the W&M back line while contributing two assists.
BACK BETWEEN THE POSTS. Sophomore goalkeeper Gwen Doughty returns after earning CAA All-Rookie Team honors as a freshman. Doughty competed in all 18 matches and was the goalkeeper of record in each of the Tribe's seven victories, finishing with a 1.16 goals-against average, 59 saves and five shutouts. Doughty finished fourth in the CAA in both goals-against average and saves while ranking fifth in shutouts per game.
THE GREYHOUNDS. Loyola Maryland opens its season after finishing 5-5-8 in 2025. The Greyhounds posted a 2-3-4 mark at home before their season ended with a 3-1 loss to Army in the Patriot League quarterfinals.
TRIBE VS. GREYHOUNDS. Wednesday will mark the seventh all-time meeting between William & Mary and Loyola Maryland, with the Tribe holding a 4-2 advantage in the series. The Greyhounds earned a 1-0 victory in Williamsburg last season in the first meeting between the programs since 2010.
The first meeting came in 1996, with W&M earning a 1-0 victory. Wednesday will mark the Tribe's first true road match against Loyola Maryland, as the previous six meetings were played in Williamsburg or at a neutral site in Maryland.
LOOKING FOR A ROAD WIN. The Tribe will look to snap a road winless streak dating back to 2024. W&M went 0-5-3 away from Williamsburg last season, earning draws at No. 20 Virginia Tech, Drexel and Towson. The Tribe's last road victory came in a 3-0 win at Hampton on Sept. 19, 2024.
SHACKFORD AT THE HELM. Shackford begins her eighth full season leading her alma mater. The 30-year coaching veteran and former national coach of the year owns a 291-198-57 career record (.586), with previous head coaching stops at Princeton and Carnegie Mellon.
WHAT'S NEXT. William & Mary continues its season-opening road swing Thursday, Aug. 20, traveling to Army for a 4 p.m. kickoff. The Tribe then returns to Williamsburg for its home opener against Virginia Tech on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 6 p.m. at Martin Family Stadium.
