March 15, 2014
Hokies hold on to beat William & Mary, 11-10
Sieger makes eight second-saves
12F
Virginia Tech (4-4) 6511
William & Mary (1-5) 8210
  • Martin Family Stad. - 234

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech lacrosse team battled from down for much of the game, but claimed a late, one-goal lead to pick up the 11-10 win over William & Mary at Martin Family Stadium Sunday afternoon. Megan Will led the Tech offense with four goals and two assists, while Taelor Salmon also tallied four goals for William & Mary.

Tech (4-4) trailed by one goal for most of the game, letting the difference get only as large as three on two occasions, but finally broke through and took its first lead of the day midway through the second half. The Hokies tied things up three times before claiming the advantage, as William & Mary (1-4) was always able to respond first to the Hokie attack.

The Tribe began the game scoring three straight goals, two of which were free position scores for Salmon. Will put Tech on the board ten minutes into the game with a free-position goal of her own, and Jessi Thon added another 8-meter score for the Hokies five minutes later.

With just over 12 minutes remaining until the half, back-to-back goals from Will gave the game its first tie at four apiece, but William & Mary responded with three straight scores to reestablish the distance, making it 7-4. Following the run Tech switched things up in goal, subbing in Hannah Sieger for starter Meagh Graham.

Julia Heaps teamed up with Will and Bromley to make it a one-goal game again, as she worked her way in to create an opportunity but found open teammates both times the Tribe defense denied her.

William & Mary tacked on one more goal before the break to go up 8-6, also holding the slight shooting edge, 12-11. Despite struggling early on the draw, the Hokies held the draws advantage, 8-7.

Meg Bartley got things going in the first minute of the new period for Tech when she curled across the middle to attack the right side and get the Hokies back to within one. Salmon quickly answered for the Tribe, but the Hokies responded as Will and Bromley teamed up again and Bartley tied things at 9 after putting away a pass from Meghan Macera.

Bromley made it a career day as she fired in her third goal of the day on yet another set-up by Will nearing the midway point in the second half. Just over a minute later Macera claimed Tech’s first lead of the game as she buried a free position shot to put the Hokies up 11-10.

Tech dominated possession in the second half and both teams saw a lull in production following Tech taking the lead. With 7:46 left of the clock the Tribe’s Alexi Farmakis was awarded a free position attempt after being fouled inside the 8-meter, but after firing the shot past Sieger the Tech coaching staff called for a stick check and the goal was called back.

The Hokies took over possession and tried to add to their total, but an attempted attack by Will was broken up and put the ball back in the Tribe’s hands. William & Mary headed straight for the goal, but it was denied by Sieger and possession would remain in Tech’s favor until there were 12 seconds left in the game. The Tribe got ahold of a bad pass and ran it down field for one last shot, but the long shot was stopped by Sieger as the clock went off.

Bromley finished the game with her first career hat trick, while Will tallied six points in the win. After winning five draws in the first half, Bartley finished with six in the game. William & Mary outshot the Hokies 22-19, but Tech held the advantage on the draw 13-10.

After settling in in the final eight minutes of the first half, Sieger remained in cage for the entire second half and finished with nine saves, eight of which came in the second half, to earn the first decision of her career. Meredith Crizer got the start in cage for the Tribe and finished with five saves in 38 minutes of action, but she was replaced for the final 22 minutes by Colleen Nofi, who suffered the loss and didn’t make a save.

Tech will have a week off before returning to action as it hosts Coastal Carolina on Saturday, March 22 at 1 p.m.

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