NEWARK, Del. — William & Mary field hockey picked up a big road win at CAA preseason favorite Delaware, 3-1, on Friday night and remained atop the league standings with a perfect 3-0 mark.
Graduate students Lauren Curran and Audrey Domovich both scored in the Tribe’s victory, while senior Jayden Moon registered her first career game-winning goal, redirecting a shot in the 32nd minute. Domovich added an assist on the game-winner and finished with a goal and an assist for the first time in her career.
The Tribe (4-4, 3-0 CAA) struck first in the second quarter on Curran’s third goal of the season. On the play, senior Allison Goodwin carried the ball into the right side of the circle, finding Lonica McKinney along the right side. The graduate forward spun and center it to Curran in the middle of the area. The Tribe striker got the UD defender on her back, touched center, and lifted a shot over the UD goalkeeper. Curran moved into 20th on the Tribe’s scoring list with her 23rd career goal, while McKinney notched her second assist.
The Tribe used its first penalty corner of the match to double the lead just two minutes into the second half. Domovich sent a shot from the left side of the circle on frame that turned into a pass as Moon was in the right place at the right time, directing the shot up and over the UD GK to make it 2-0. The tally marked firsts in the career of Domovich (assist) and Moon (game-winning goal).
Junior Sara Bartzen narrowly missed giving the Tribe a 3-0 lead less than four minutes into the fourth quarter. Her redirected shot at the back post off a McKinney pass went just wide of the goal.
Senior Maddie George made the Tribe’s two-goal advantage stand up behind five fourth-quarter saves. The first came on a stop of a Kate Fiest shot from the left side in the 51st minute.
The Tribe goalkeeper made two-straight saves, including a point-blank stop, on a Delaware (4-7, 1-2 CAA) corner in the 57th minute. Unfortunately, the rebound spilled over to Valentina Martorell who tapped it in to draw the Blue Hens within 2-1 with just 3:14 remaining.
Just over a minute later after the home team had pulled its goalie to get an extra attacker, George made perhaps her biggest save of the night with the Tribe clinging to a one-goal advantage. Off a UD penalty corner, George made a kick save on another Martorell shot from the right side of the circle.
W&M added the capper off a penalty corner with less than a minute to remaining. Domovich’s hard shot found the back of an empty cage to provide the final margin of 3-1. The goal was Domovich’s third in the last two CAA matches. Senior Maddie McGaughey and junior Pyper Friedman picked up the assists of the corner.
Scoring
25′ | W&M – Lauren Curran (Lonica McKinney)
32′ | W&M – Jayden Moon (Audrey Domovich)
57′ | Delaware – Valentina Martorell (unassisted)
60′ | W&M – Domovich (Maddie McGaughey/Pyper Friedman)
Starters
W&M – #1 George (GK), #3 Domovich, #5 Gruendel, #7 Richbourg, #8 Friedman, #9 McGaughey, #12 Moon, #21 Goodwins, #24 McKinney, #27 Schwartz, #33 Curran
Delaware – #31 Walbert (GK), #2 Miller, #3 Whitehead, #4 Medinger, #5 Nicholls, #7 Bakermans, #10 Johnson, #13 Gabbitass, #17 Fiest, #22 Sabbagh, #23 Martorell
Up Next
The Tribe wraps up the week by hosting No. 4 Duke on Sunday, Oct. 1, at noon. The match will be streamed on FloLive.
