Tribe to Play at JMU and VCU This Weekend

10/10/07 3:30PM

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary women’s soccer team will look to remain unbeaten in conference play when it takes on James Madison and Virginia Commonwealth University in a pair of road contests this weekend. The Tribe (8-3-1, 3-0-1) will square off against the Dukes (10-1-1, 3-0-1) on Friday at 7 p.m. before battling the Rams (7-4-1, 4-0) on Sunday at 2 p.m. W&M is currently tied for second place in the Colonial Athletic Association with JMU, while VCU is atop the league standings.

Last weekend, the College earned a 2-0 victory at Hofstra and a 0-0 draw at Northeastern. Junior Claire Zimmeck tallied both of the Tribe’s goals in the win against the Pride, while sophomore Krissy Vornadore provided an assist. With the decisions, W&M is now 7-1-1 in its last nine contests, with the lone loss coming in double overtime at then-No. 4 Virginia.

The College has outscored its opponents, 19-6, this season and has recorded a league-best eight shutouts. Additionally, the Green and Gold have out-shot the opposition, 184-102, with an 82-41 advantage in shots on goal.

Individually, Zimmeck leads the conference in goals (nine), game-winning goals (six) and shots (51), while she ranks second in points (18). Additionally, she ranks 19th nationally with 0.75 goals per game. Junior goalkeeper Meghan Walker is first in the CAA with a 0.49 goals against average, a figure that ranks 18th in the country.

The Dukes are off to the best start in the program’s history with a 10-1-1 record overall and a 3-0-1 mark in conference action. Ranked 30th nationally by Soccer Buzz, JMU is unbeaten in its last 12 home matches and sports an 8-0 record in Harrisonburg this season. Annie Lowry and Cate Tisinger are currently tied for the team lead in points with 13 apiece. Goalkeeper Missy Reimert ranks second in the league with a 0.52 goals against average. W&M has a 17-7-3 record against the Dukes in the all-time series and defeated them, 3-1, last season in Williamsburg. Zimmeck came up big in the triumph, as she earned a hat trick.

VCU currently sports a 7-4-1 record overall and a perfect 4-0 mark in league action. The Rams have earned shutout victories in each of their last four contests, outscoring the opposition by a 9-0 margin. June Hartman leads the squad with 12 points on five goals and a pair of assists, while Emily Niman has a 0.98 goals against average. The Tribe holds a 13-3-1 advantage in the all-time series and earned a 1-0 win last season in Williamsburg. Danielle Collins provided the game-winner for the College.