Tribe Women Host VCU Thursday

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary women's soccer team welcomes VCU to Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field on Thursday, Sept. 20, for a match scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.  W&M enters the contest with a 6-2 record and is currently riding a six game winning-streak, while VCU comes to Williamsburg with a mark of 3-2-3.  Fans can follow the action online at TribeAthletics.com with live video and stats.

Courtesy Tribe Athletics

Scouting the Tribe
During its six-match winning streak, the Tribe has outscored the opposition, 14-0.  Having blanked its last six opponents, the College currently ranks third nationally in shutout percentage (0.75).  Additionally, W&M ranks 31st nationally with a goals-against average of 0.611.  In its last outing, the College cruised past Davidson, 3-0, behind senior Mallory Schaffer's sixth and seventh goals of the season and sophomore Emory Camper's first score of the year. Schaffer leads the Tribe with 16 points, coming on seven goals and two assists.  Classmate Cortlyn Bristol has tallied a team-high four assists and two goals, while junior Dani Rutter has netted two goals and one assist.   

Scouting the Rams
Under the direction of co-head coaches Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak and Tim Sahaydak, VCU comes to Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly field with a record of 3-2-3.  Unbeaten in its last four matches, the Rams posted back-to-back 1-0 victories over Pittsburgh and American, while playing UMBC and Villanova to draws.  Sophomore Cristin Granados leads VCU with two goals and one assist, while junior Courtney Conrad has tallied two scores.       

News and Notes:

- All-time, W&M holds an 18-4-2 series lead over VCU.  In its last meeting, the Tribe defeated the Rams, 1-0, in the 2011 CAA Championship game, avenging a loss at VCU earlier in the season.  

-  Senior Mallory Schaffer was named the CAA Player of the Week on Monday after tallying two goals and one assist against Davidson on Sept. 16.  It marked the second time this season and the fourth time of her career that she garnered the weekly distinction. For the year, the Allison Park, Pa., native leads the CAA with seven goals and 16 points.  Nationally, Schaffer ranks 19th in the country in points per game (2.0) and goals per match (0.875), while her seven goals rank 18th.  

- On Tuesday, senior midfielder Mallory Schaffer was named a 2012 Senior CLASS Award candidate.  The reigning CAA Player of the Year was one of 30 NCAA women's soccer players selected as a candidate for the prestigious award, which honors student-athletes who excel both on and off the field.  To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.  The 2012 women's Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2012 Women's College Cup, which will be held Nov. 30 through Dec, 2 in San Diego, Calif.   

- Thursday night's match against VCU will be the Tribe's last non-conference contest before opening CAA play on Sunday Sept. 23, against JMU at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field.  Since 2000, the Green and Gold is 8-3-1 in regular season non-conference finales.