Women’s Soccer Advances To NCAA Second Round With 2-1 Win Over Virginia Tech

Tribe To Face #1 North Carolina Saturday At 4:00 P.M.

11/11/04 9:37PM

CHAPEL HILL, NC - William and Mary scored two unanswered goals, with the game winner coming on a Virginia Tech own goal, after allowing a Hokies goal in the sixth minute, and the Tribe defense withstood a furious Hokie offensive charge in the second half as the William and Mary women’s soccer team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001with a 2-1 win over Virginia Tech this evening at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill, NC. W&M improves to 12-6-4 while the Hokies, which qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, ends its season with an 11-10 mark.

The Tribe outshot its cross-state rival 16-13 and had a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks, but the Hokies struck first in the sixth minute. Molly McCall sent a cross from the right side to the far post, where Heather Hallberg buried home her fifth goal of the year into the upper right corner.

Virginia Tech held its lead until the 18th minute, when Tribe freshman midfielder Mary MacKenzie Grier (Midlothian, VA) found the back of the net for the third time in four matches. Lydia Sturgis (Jacksonville, FL) fired a corner kick to the center of the 18-yard box directly to Grier, who outjumped her mark and headed home the equalizer for her third career goal. All three of her goals have come in the postseason.

W&M received help from the Hokies in the 37th minute to conclude the scoring. Grier headed a ball to Katie Hogwood (Reston, VA) at the goal mouth. Hogwood wheeled and fired a left-footed blast that hit the crossbar. The rebound bounced off of a Virginia Tech defender marking Taline Tahmassian (Great Falls, VA) and into the left corner of the net for what proved to be the winning goal.

The Hokies had several scoring chances in the second half but could not capitalize. Late in the game, a Tech player got behind the Tribe defense and fired a shot off the right post. Earlier in the half, a Hokies attacker had a wide-open net to shoot at but her attempt went wide.

Kellie Fenton (Calgary, Alberta) made two saves in the net for the Tribe, and her counterpart, Mallory Soldner, collected eight saves for the Hokies.

The win puts the Tribe in the NCAA second round for the first time since 2001 when it defeated Wake Forest 2-1 in overtime on a free kick by Ali West (Columbia, MD). The Tribe’s next opponent is the tournament’s overall number one seed North Carolina, which defeated Campbell 6-0 in the first game today. The Tribe is 0-19-1 all-time against the Tar Heels, with the lone tie coming in 1987, a match in which the Tribe won 4-2 on penalty kicks. The second round match with the Tar Heels is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Saturday at Fetzer Field.

William and Mary 2, Virginia Tech 1

Scoring Summary
VT 5:27 Heather Hallberg (Molly McCall)
W&M 17:48 Mary MacKenzie Grier (Lydia Sturgis)
W&M 36:46 VT Own Goal

Shots: W&M 16, VT 13.
Corner Kicks: W&M 7, VT 4.
Penalty Kicks: ODU 0-0, W&M 0-0.
Fouls: W&M 11, VT 10.
Offsides: W&M 2, VT 0.
Saves: VT 8 (Mallory Soldner 8 saves, 2 goals allowed, 90:00); W&M 2 (Kellie Fenton 2 saves, 1 goal allowed, 90:00).
Attendance: 304.

Box Score