William and Mary men's soccer defeated by Elon 2-1

The William and Mary men's soccer team lost a tight match against Elon in overtime Sept. 19.

After jumping to a 1-0 lead going into the second half, following a goal from junior Chris Albiston, Elon scored a tying goal midway through the second half, sending the matchup into overtime. The Phoenix snagged a close victory with a penalty kick goal.

The William and Mary backline, headed by junior Will Smith, kept Elon in check for the entirety of the first half. In the 36th minute of the first half, Albiston was able to net his second goal of the season to grab an early edge in the contest, sending a quick kick over the hand of Phoenix sophomore keeper Nathan Dean. The green and gold mustered seven shots in the first half, with three coming on frame. The Phoenix countered with 10 shots of their own, with four on goal.

The Tribe's sophomore keeper Bennett Jones held a shutout through 63 minutes, avoiding a strong Phoenix onslaught in the 50th minute that ended with a wide left kick from junior Chris Perez. Finally, Elon senior Chris Thomas managed to get one through the net for the tie.

In overtime play, the Tribe started out on the attack, recording three shots early, including a game-winning attempt from freshman Jackson Eskay, narrowly turned away by Dean. In the 96th minute of play, Elon was able to convert a penalty kick opportunity, taking the match with a 2-1 victory.

Elon outshot William and Mary 22-20 for the game and also bested the Tribe in shots on goal, 10-7. The loss drops William and Mary to 2-4-1 on the season, while Elon continues their winning ways, improving to 4-2.

William and Mary's next matchup will be a home contest against Northeastern on Saturday, Sept. 22 in the Tribe's Colonial Athletic Association opener. The game against the Huskies is scheduled for 3 p.m.

For more information about Tribe soccer, visit tribeathletics.com.

Filed under: SPORTS