The Cavalier women's soccer team looks to rebound from Saturday's heartbreaking overtime loss to Clemson tonight at Klöckner Stadium against non-Conference rival William & Mary.
The No. 12 Cavs (7-3, 3-1 ACC) suffered their first Conference loss at the hands of the then-No. 15 Tigers in Clemson. After 90 minutes of regulation and a full first overtime, Clemson's Rachel Gallegos scored in the 109th minute to break the scoreless tie and secure the upset victory for the Tigers.
The Tribe (8-2, 3-0 CAA) comes into tonight's game flying high off their own overtime victory, a 3-2 win over Maryland Saturday.
The Cavs will be looking to regain some of the dominating play that they had shown during the previous couple of weeks, a streak that produced six consecutive victories.
William & Mary, ranked 19th in the nation, knows they will be facing a hungry Virginia team looking to prove that they are still among the nation's elite, but they too have been playing consistent soccer the past few weeks. They come into tonight's contest posting a seven-game winning streak in which they have outscored their opponents 21-6.
The Cavaliers have been led thus far by fourth-year Angela Hucles while the Tribe has been led by their own star, Missy Wycinsky, who has six goals and six assists. Hucles leads the Cavs in goals with six and is second on the team in assists with four.
William & Mary coach John Daly said he realizes that if his team wants to be successful tonight, a major priority will be containing Hucles, who was last week's ACC Player of the Week.
"She's a lot like Missy - the kind of player you can build your program around," Daly said. "She certainly scores a lot of goals."
Meanwhile, top priorities for the Cavaliers include handling William & Mary's pressure on offense and containing their blue-chip leader Wycinsky.
The Tribe flaunts a potent offensive attack that likes to put the ball in the air early and often.
"On the defensive end it is most important that we head the ball well, and do a real good job playing the 50-50 game," Cavalier coach April Heinrichs said. "We really need to come together and combine as a team."
If rebounding from last weekend's game is not enough incentive, the Cavaliers also will be looking to avenge last year's 2-1 loss to the Tribe in Williamsburg.
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