Tribe Earns CAA Tournament Bid with Senior Day Victory

W&M defeated Towson, 4-2, while senior forward Maggie Long scored two goals.

10/27/06 8:30PM

Williamsburg - The William and Mary field hockey team clinched a spot in the CAA Tournament thanks to a 4-2 senior night victory over Towson on Oct. 27. Senior forward Maggie Long scored a pair of goals in the victory, including the game winner, while fellow classmates Becky Van Zee and Gina Cimarelli tallied assists in their final home games. William and Mary improved to 10-7 overall and 4-3 in the CAA, while Towson fell to 9-9 on the season and 2-5 in the league ledger.

““This was a great team win for us,” head coach Peel Hawthorne said. “I'm especially happy for our senior class as they all played well tonight. Our forwards really produced for us. Towson is a fast and feisty team. It was nice to see our team create so many scoring opportunities."

W&M opened the contest with a pair of scoring opportunities in the seventh and ninth minutes of play. Off a penalty corner, the ball made its way around to the left side of the circle to the end line. Redshirt freshman back Kaitlin Johnson ripped a shot toward the near post, but the Towson goalkeeper blocked the ball across the crease. The second chance came when Van Zee sent a pass to Cimarelli, who was standing in front of the Tiger goalkeeper. Cimarelli’s shot from in front was knocked away by the Towson netminder

At the 11:24 mark of the opening half, the Tribe struck off a penalty corner. On the play, junior back Laura Kastelic’s initial shot from the top of the circle off the stick stop from Cimarelli was blocked by the Towson goalkeeper. Sophomore midfielder Katie Broaddus pounced on the rebound and pushed it the right side of the boards, giving W&M a 1-0 lead. It was Broaddus’ second goal of the season.

The Tigers responded with their most dangerous chance of the opening 35 minutes. In the 14th minute, Towson generated a penalty corner on the counter. Gabby Mink took the Tigers’ first attempt of the game from the top of the circle. Tribe junior goalkeeper Gwen Hunter made the kick save, but the rebound went to Kim McEwen on the left side. It was again Hunter making a kick save to keep the W&M lead at 1-0.

Long narrowly missed giving the Tribe a two-goal lead less than two minutes later. Off a penalty corner, Van Zee centered a pass to the middle of the crease. Long redirected the pass toward the left corner of the cage, but Towson goalkeeper Christina Armer made a stick save to push the ball wide of the goal.

Long would find her sixth tally of the season with four minutes remaining in the opening half. The Ocean City, N.J., native received a long pass from the midfield and penetrated the circle. She carried the ball around the right side of the circle, before sending a shot into the right side of the boards, giving W&M a 2-0 advantage.

The Tribe senior striker got her second goal of the evening early in the second half. W&M countered a Towson turnover in the midfield and turned it into a three-on-one in the attacking third. Junior forward Kim Hedley penetrated the 25-yard line before pushing the ball off to Cimarelli on her right. The Oak Hill, Va., native drew the goalkeeper out, before finding Long on the left side of the crease. Long finished into the left side of the boards for her seventh goal of the year. It marked the second time this season Long scored two goals in a match. She also pulled the trick against Ball State to open the season. The assist was Cimarelli’s team-leading seventh of the year.

The Tigers found the back of the boards to draw within a pair of goals in the 50th minute. Off a penalty corner, McEwen sent a shot toward the right side of the cage. Kajee Murangi redirected the attempt over the top of Hunter’s stick and into the net. The goal drew the Tigers within 3-1 with 20 minute to play.

Long nearly notched a hat trick 10 minutes later. Hedley penetrated the 25-yard line, drew the defense and dished the ball off to a rushing Long on her right. Long had a wide open cage, but her attempt hit the right post and bounced across the goalmouth.

In the 66th minute of play, Hedley tallied her team-leading eighth goal of the season to push the Tribe lead back to three at 4-1. The ball made its way around the top of the circle to Van Zee. The Leighton, Pa., native centered a pass to Hedley in the middle of the crease, and she finished to the center of the cage. The helper was Van Zee’s fourth of the year.

“Kim Hedley clearly had her best game tonight,” Hawthorne said. “She was dangerous and created a lot of chances for us.”

The Tigers drew back within two for the final margin less than a minute later. Off a penalty corner, Kelli Richards sent the ball to McEwen along the left side of circle. McEwen ripped a shot into the right side of the boards just past the outstretch stick of sophomore goalkeeper Kristen Gillis.

W&M outshot Towson, 14-6, on the evening, including a 9-2 cushion in the first half play. The College also held a 6-5 advantage in penalty corner. Hunter finished with two saves in goal for the Tribe, while Gillis had one.

Senior Jamie Fitzgerald, Julienne Palbusa, Cimarelli, Long and Van Zee were recognized before the game for their contributions to the Tribe program. The quintet played their final home game at Busch Field.

The Tribe will close the regular season on the road at No. 3 Old Dominion on Sunday, Oct. 29. The contest is slated for 1 p.m. at Forman Field in Norfolk, Va. The contest marks the fifth time over the College’s final eight matches of the season that it has faced a team ranked among the top 20 in the country.

Box Score