Tribe to Open CAA Play this Weekend

09/27/07 2:25PM

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary women’s soccer team will open conference play this weekend when it hosts Drexel and Delaware at Albert-Daly Field. W&M (5-3) will square off against the Dragons (4-2-1) on Friday at 7 p.m. before taking on the Blue Hens (4-3) on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

The Tribe recorded a 10-0-1 mark in the CAA last season and finished atop the regular-season standings. In those matches, W&M outscored the opposition, 29-9, and registered six shutouts.

In its last outing, the College had its four-match winning streak snapped with a 1-0 loss at No. 4 Virginia in double overtime. The Cavaliers’ score marked the first goal the Tribe had surrendered since the Oklahoma match on Sept. 7, a span covering 486 minutes.

Thus far this season, W&M has outscored its opponents, 12-5, and has posted five shutouts. Additionally, the Tribe has out-shot its opponents, 95-76, with a 45-32 advantage in shots on goal.

Individually, junior Claire Zimmeck ranks tied for second in the conference with five goals, while she leads the league in game-winning scores (four) and shots per game (3.38). Junior goalkeeper Meghan Walker ranks fifth in the CAA with a 0.62 goals against average.

Drexel enters Friday’s contest with a 4-2-1 record and is unbeaten in its last four matches. Aleka Yiantsos leads the team with seven points on two goals and three assists, while Carly Snyder, Kim Chiarelli, Athena Yiantsos and Daria Bialik each have one goal apiece. Goalkeeper Kaitlin Bond is allowing just 0.54 goals per match, a figure that ranks third in the conference. W&M owns a 5-0 record in the all-time series with Drexel and earned a 3-0 victory last season in Philadelphia.

Delaware currently has a 4-3 record but has fallen in two of its last three contests. Amy Pickard leads the squad with nine points on four goals and an assist, while Emily Sammis has seven points on three goals and an assist. The Tribe is 5-0-2 against the Blue Hens in the all-time series. Last season, the College rallied back from two goals down in the second half to earn a 4-2 triumph in Newark.