Tribe Women Wrap Up Regular Season by Hosting ODU

Courtesy TribeAthletics.com

Tue, October 23, 2012 

 

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary women's soccer team will wrap up its regular season when it hosts Old Dominion at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field on Wednesday at 7 p.m. With a win against the Monarchs, the Tribe will capture the Colonial Athletic Association regular-season title and hosts the league's tournament the following weekend.  For the year, the College is 13-5 overall and 7-2 in the CAA, while Old Dominion is 4-13 on the season and 2-7 in league action.  Fans can follow the match online at TribeAthletics.com with live video and stats. 

Scouting the Tribe
The College defended its home pitch last weekend with a pair of wins against CAA competition.  On Friday night, the Green and Gold defeated Northeastern, 2-1, while the Tribe downed Hofstra, 3-2 in a double overtime thriller on Sunday.  The two wins have propelled W&M atop the CAA standings, and the Tribe now controls its own postseason destiny.  A win against Old Dominion on Wednesday night will cement the College as the 2012 CAA Tournament host, while a setback or tie will leave a possibility of hosting.

Seniors Mallory Schaffer and Cortlyn Bristol lead the Tribe with 22 points apiece.  Schaffer, who sent the Hofstra match into overtime with a goal in the 87th minute, has scored a team-high 10 goals to go along with two assists.  Bristol, who scored the game-winning goal against Hofstra, has tallied a team-high 12 assists while pouring in five goals.  Junior Dani Rutter continues to impress as the Burke, Pa., native has netted five goals and three assists, while freshman Nicole Baxter has accounted for four goals and two assists.     

Scouting the Monarchs
On Sunday, Old Dominion dropped a hard-fought home match to Northeastern, 2-1, in overtime.  However, the Monarchs defeated Hofstra, 2-1, which at the time was atop the league standings.  Senior Ashlee Coutu and sophomore Jessie Klamut scored goals in ODU's victory over the Pride.  Coutu leads the Monarchs with 13 points on six goals and one assist, while junior Amber Cook has tallied four goals and one helper.  Each of ODU's last four matches has been decided by one goal.  Head coach Joe Pereira is in his 18th season at the helm of the Old Dominion program.

News and Notes:
- Last week, senior Mallory Schaffer was named as one of 10 national finalists for the 2012 Senior Class Award for women's soccer.  The award identifies the Division I senior athlete who best defines success on and off of the field.  The winner of the Senior CLASS Award will be announced during the 2012 College Cup Championship, which will take place in San Diego, Calf., on Nov. 30 through Dec. 2.

- Wednesday night's match will be the 24th meeting between the Tribe and Old Dominion, as W&M owns the series advantage, 20-2-1.  Last season, the Green and Gold cruised to a 4-0 victory in Norfolk led by junior Dani Rutter's two goals.  

- Nationally, senior Cortlyn Bristol ranks among the nation's best in a few statistical categories.  The Chantilly, Va., native has tallied 12 assists on the season, which are tied for most in country.  Additionally, her 0.67 assists per match rank fourth in the nation, while the preseason All-CAA selection's four game-winning goals stand at 28th.   

- With a win over Old Dominion on Wednesday night, the Tribe will clinch the No.1 seed in the 2012 CAA Tournament for the second consecutive year.  Last season, the Green and Gold hosted the championship after finishing the conference slate 10-1.  Additionally, the Tribe went on to capture its 10th CAA Championship after defeating VCU, 2-1, in overtime of the title match.

- The College will recognize head coach John Daly for his 350th career victory prior to Wednesday night's kickoff against Old Dominion.  Daly's 350th triumph came earlier this season in the Tribe's 2-0 win at Auburn.  Furthermore, all of coach Daly's 350 career victories have come at the College.