Tribe Drops Heart-Breaker at No. 7 Georgetown, 8-7

Sellers and Golden Each Score Three in Loss

03/19/08 7:00PM

Washington, D.C. - William and Mary’s Jaime Sellers (Kennebunk, Maine) and Grace Golden (Manhasset, N.Y.) each scored three goals, but it wasn’t enough for the Tribe to avoid a crushing 8-7 loss at seventh-ranked Georgetown Wednesday afternoon.

Ashby Kaestner scored five goals for Georgetown (6-1), and Caitlin Formby recorded 12 saves, including a game-saving stop in the final seconds.

Golden scored her third goal with 43 seconds remaining in the game to make it 8-7, and W&M (2-6) would have one more possession in the closing seconds after winning the resulting draw. But, after Formby controlled a loose ball following a turnover, the Hoya netminder attempted to leave the ball in the crease to run out the clock. The ball however squirted through the crease to freshman Ashley Holofcener (Reisterstown, Md.), who desperately tried to redirect it back into the goal, before Formby denied the shot at the final buzzer.

It was a low-scoring affair throughout, as each team battled a steady rain and strong opposing defense. Golden added an assist for a team-high four points and also led the Tribe with three draw controls and three ground balls. Clare Dennis (Catonsville, Md.) scored the Tribe’s only other goal and also collected three-ground balls and a caused turnover. Freshman Emily Geary (Wayne, Pa.) was credited with seven saves.

Georgetown held the Tribe attack in check for almost the entire first-half, but only led 4-0 due to the Tribe’s outstanding defensive effort. Sarah Jonson (Dallas, Texas) and Ashley Bolton (Narbeth, Pa.) each caused turnovers to pace the unit.

Kaestner scored a pair of first-half goals and Mary Beth Brophy’s goal with 7:56 remaining in the opening period gave Georgetown the four-goal edge. But, in the closing minute of the first, the Tribe awoke, scoring a pair of goals in a 28-second span to cut the deficit in half. Golden finally broke through for W&M with 36 seconds on the clock, and after the Tribe snagged the reset, Sellers found the net with just eight seconds showing.

The Tribe inched a little closer in the opening minute of the second half too, as Dennis found the net just 57 seconds in. Golden tied the game, 4-4, a short while later, before Kaestner answered to put the Hoyas back on top, 5-4. Sellers would net the equalizer to make it 5-5, but Kaestner kept the back-and-forth scoring going with her fourth at the 21:48 mark of the second. Sellers once again pulled the Tribe even though, 6-6, just over a minute later.

From there, the teams continued to battle the conditions and each other’s defense, covering nearly 12 minutes of scoreless action. Geary recorded six saves in the second half, and Formby was solid at the other end as well with five second-half stops. Georgetown broke through with 5:57 remaining on Jordan Troutman’s go-ahead goal. The Hoyas grabbed the important ensuing draw, and Kaestner raced to goal and gave Georgetown a two-goal lead, 8-6, only 15 seconds later.

W&M was able to break the Hoyas’ stall a couple times in the closing minutes, but couldn’t get on the board until Golden’s marker in the final minute that set up the dramatic finish.

Katie Rees (Catonsville, Md.) picked up a pair of ground balls and two draw controls, and Bolton added a pair of ground balls. W&M held a 10-6 edge in draw controls, including a 4-1 advantage in the first half.

W&M returns to action next Tuesday, facing another ranked opponent, Stanford, at Albert-Daly Field. The first meeting between the teams is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.