WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary men's soccer returns home Saturday afternoon, hosting College of Charleston in CAA action at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. in Williamsburg. The matchup marks the Tribe's first home conference contest of the season.
Clear Bag Policy and Metal DetectorsÂ
Furthering its commitment to a first class and secure environment at home athletic events, William & Mary has implemented the use of walk-through metal detectors at the entrances to athletic venues (both ticketed and non-ticketed events). This enhanced security method mirrors standard practice at most major professional and intercollegiate athletic events throughout the country and compliments the Clear Bag Policy already in place. Fans will proceed through metal detectors prior to having their tickets scanned or entering a venue for non-tickets events. Entrants will not need to remove items such as belts, cell phones, coins, jackets, jewelry, watches, wallets, shoes or other small objects. If additional screening is necessary, security staff will ask the individual to proceed to a secondary screening area, where they will be asked to divest themselves of certain items and pass through again until clear.
THE TRIBE. William & Mary enters Saturday at 1-2-1 overall and 0-0-1 in CAA play after earning a 1-1 draw at Elon on Sunday. W&M returns home after consecutive road matches at George Mason and Elon and owns a 1-1 record at Martin Family Stadium this season.
The Tribe has scored 11 goals through four matches, averaging 2.75 per contest. W&M has put 21 of its 48 shots on goal and has seen seven different players find the back of the net.
Alex Garrison, Brown Huffard and Gabe Ruitenberg share the team lead with five points. Garrison and Huffard have scored a team-best two goals apiece and added an assist, while Ruitenberg has a goal and a team-high three assists. Aidan Gatchell has added three points on a goal and an assist.
BACK-TO-BACK FOR BROWN. Huffard was named the CAA Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week on Monday after scoring the Tribe's goal in its 1-1 draw at Elon.
The McLean, Va., native wasted little time making an impact in his first career CAA match, finding the back of the net just 1:35 into the contest to give W&M an early 1-0 lead. Ruitenberg picked up his team-leading third assist on the play.
Huffard has made an immediate impact through his first four collegiate matches, recording five points on two goals and an assist. The freshman has scored on two of his four shots and put three of his four attempts on goal.
FIVE-POINT TRIO. Garrison, Huffard and Ruitenberg enter Saturday tied atop the Tribe's scoring chart with five points apiece.
Garrison and Huffard share the team lead with two goals, while Ruitenberg's three assists are a team best. Garrison has also recorded the Tribe's lone game-winning goal of the season.
SHARING THE WEALTH. Seven different W&M players have scored through the opening four matches.
Garrison and Huffard lead the way with two goals apiece, while Ruitenberg, Gatchell, Damen Burney, Kai Feng and Evan Rabush have each scored once. The Tribe has also recorded 10 assists on its 11 goals.
BACK AT HOME. Saturday marks William & Mary's first match at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field since its 4-1 victory over Radford on Aug. 23.
The Tribe is 1-1 at home this season and has scored 10 goals across its two contests in Williamsburg. W&M opened the season with a 6-5 setback to Longwood before responding with the victory over Radford.
THE COUGARS. College of Charleston enters Saturday unbeaten at 2-0-1 overall and 1-0 in CAA play. The Cougars opened the season with a 1-1 draw against Davidson before earning victories over Florida Gulf Coast, 3-2, and Campbell, 2-1.
Charleston opened conference play with its victory over Campbell on Aug. 28. Stian Bendvold scored and added an assist in the win, while Michiharu Takanashi netted the eventual game winner.
Senior forward Matt Lenert leads Charleston with three goals and eight points, while Bendvold and Lenert share the team lead with two assists. Lenert was named CAA Offensive Player of the Week following the opening week of the season before Bendvold earned the honor this week.
TRIBE VS. COUGARS. William & Mary holds a 13-5-3 advantage in the all-time series against College of Charleston.
Charleston won both meetings between the teams last season by 3-1 scores and has won three straight in the series. The Tribe's most recent victory over the Cougars came in 2021.
CAA HOME OPENER. Saturday marks the Tribe's first home CAA match of the season after W&M opened league play with a 1-1 draw at Elon.
William & Mary was selected fifth in the CAA South Division preseason poll, while Charleston was picked third. The Cougars enter the weekend at 1-0 in conference play.
WHAT'S NEXT. Following Saturday's match, William & Mary returns to the road for CAA action against UNCW on Saturday, Sept. 12. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in Wilmington, N.C., and the match will be streamed live on FloCollege.
