Senior Keeper Devon Seifert gets Fifth Shutout of the season
Written By: Kathryne Mason
Distribution Manager/Staff Writer
Despite the score and the outcome of the game, the Lady Monarchs could just have easily lost Fridays match against the Tribe with the way they were playing in the second half. The feeling in the stands was all too familiar from last year.
The Lady Monarchs were making bad passes, giving away the ball, not capitalizing on corners, and making mistakes that athletes of their caliber shouldn’t be making. Thankfully, with Old Dominion being up by two going into the second half, junior Christy Longacre led the defense and made sure that William and Mary wouldn’t capitalize on the Monarchs’ mistakes.
Fourteen minutes into the game, the Lady Monarchs got their first tally on the board from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania native Danielle Clutter. The assist was given to senior forward Kathryn Kirk, who took a long hit from the far right sideline, hitting the ball directly in the circle with Clutter waiting at the top.
This is Clutter’sfifth goal of the season and Kirk’sfifth assist. Kirk is thefourth inmost assists following senior Rebecca Condie, junior Maarje van Rijswijk, and senior Stephanie Kratzer.
No more than six minutes later, Old Dominion got their second and final goal from Kratzer with Condie getting the assist. Going into the second half, the Lady Tribedominated Old Dominion in the midfield, blocked any shots that made it through the circle and constantly put pressure on the few that dared to come up the sideline.
Emma Batten, Katie Nearhouse, and Kirk, who all have exceptional stick work when it comes to ball handling, found themselves constantly getting double-teamed by the Tribe. Old Dominion, trying new tactics to get the ball in the back of the goal, started using the sideline.
It wasn’t hard hearing the disapproving messages from head coach Beth Anders when the girls weren’t playing to the best of their abilities. Old Dominion won, but on more than one occasion, the Lady Tribes got close enough to where they could have easily tied the game up. William and Mary managed to do something that only five other teams have accomplished this season, holding the high- powered Old Dominion offense to a mere two goals.
The Lady Tribes keeper Camilla Hill made an astonishing ten saves on Old Dominion. Three times in the second half, Hill had to come out of goal to make a stop on Nearhouse, Kirk, and Batten. The chances were there for the Lady Monarchs, but they constantly fell short of delivering.
With Fridays win, Old Dominion improved to an 18-1 overall season record and 8-0 Colonial Athletic Association play. William and Mary fell to 6-11 overall and 1-7 in CAA action.
CAA Tournament play starts on Nov. 4 for the Monarchs. Their first opponent is yet to be determined.
