WILLIAMSBURG — Graduate forward Lauren Curran scored twice and William & Mary punched its ticket to the CAA Tournament with a 3-2 win over league-leader Monmouth on Friday evening at Busch Field.
With the win, the Tribe (7-7, 4-2 CAA) secured its spot in the four-team CAA Tournament after narrowly missing out last season due to a tiebreaker. W&M’s seed could be No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 depending on results during the final round of CAA play next week when the Tribe is on bye.
Curran scored her second goal and what proved to be the game-winner in the 39th minute, redirecting a pass from the top of the circle by classmate Audrey Domovich over the top of the Hawk defense from the left side. It was Curran’s second game-winner of the season, while Domovich notched her second assist, both of which were on the winning goal.
The Tribe defense made the one-goal lead stand up. After the Hawks (9-5, 4-1 CAA) pulled their goalkeeper for a player advantage with five minutes remaining, the visitor generated a pair of penalty corners. Senior goalkeeper Maddie George made her fifth and final save on a Sofia Fouces shot from the top in the 57th minute and Anna Moors’s shot went wide of the post off the second chance with just 30 seconds remaining.
The game was even down the middle in terms of shots, 11 apiece, and shots on goal, seven apiece, but W&M held a 6-4 advantage in penalty corners.
Fouces scored twice in the first half for Monmouth. The first came just 1:28 into the game as she finished into the left side boards from the middle of the area. Her second in the 18th minute sent it to the half tied at two.
W&M answered the Hawks first goal in quick succession, scoring twice in a 2:30 span. Junior Kellen Richbourg got things started for the Tribe knotting the game just over a minute after Monmouth opened the scoring. Senior Jayden Moon fed Richbourg into the right side of the circle. With Monmouth GK Jessie Eiselin coming off her line, the junior midfield calmly finished under her to the right side boards for her first goal of the season. It was Moon’s third helper of the year.
Before the Tribe faithful could settle in from the opening excitement, Curran put the Green and Gold in front in the sixth minute. Sophomore Olivia Stocks found Curran open in the center of the area and the graduate striker backhanded a shot past Eiselin to put the Tribe in front. It was Curran’s sixth goal of the year and Stocks first career point.
The two-goal game was the third of Curran’s career and first this season. She continued to cement herself in the school record books, moving into the top 25 in points at 22nd with 56. Curran jumped to 15th in career goals with her 25th and 26th on Friday and is now eighth in school history with seven career game-winning goals.
Scoring
2′ | Monmouth – Sofia Forces (unassisted)
3′ | W&M – Kellen Richbourg (Jayden Moon)
6′ | W&M – Lauren Curran (Olivia Stocks)
18′ | Monmouth – Forces (Lauren Relik)
39′ | W&M – Curran (Audrey Domovich)
Starters
W&M – #1 George (GK), #3 Domovich, #7 Richbourg, #8 Friedman, #12 Moon, #18 Bartzen, #21 Goodwin, #24 McKinney, #27 Schwartz, #33 Curran
Monmouth – #1 Eiselin (GK), #4 Schwartz, #7 Relik, #8 Shakespeare, #10 Aufknacken, #11 Karlhuber, #12 Bloomstead, #14 Moors, #16 Forces, #21 Goddard-Despot, #22 Tucker
Up Next
The Tribe returns to action on Sunday when it welcomes Atlantic 10 foe LaSalle to Williamsburg at 11 a.m.
