BY: FRANCESCA DAVIS
The start of the Tribe’s field hockey season is rapidly approaching, and Head Coach Tess Ellis and the team are looking to carry the momentum from their standout 2023 season into another successful campaign this fall. This week we’ll be previewing the women’s field hockey program as they look to defend their CAA title under the leadership of Coach Ellis, who will be entering her 11th year as head coach for the Tribe.
William and Mary start this 2024 season with several fresh faces, including the appointment of two new assistant coaches, namely Christina Walker and Mimi Smith. Walker, a former head coach at Virginia Wesleyan and a former assistant at Wake Forest, has a multitude of experience of dealing with championship-winning teams, having won back-to-back national championships as a goalkeeper for the University of Maryland in 2005/6, and taking the Demon Deacons to six appearances at the NCAA tournament.
Smith also joins the team with valuable playing experience, being a two-time All-American for ODU, and winning the national championship in 1998 with the Monarchs. Not only has Ellis made strong additions to her staff, but she also brings in five new freshmen and a graduate transfer from Davidson, Ellie Taylor.
This will be key for the Green and Gold as eight experienced players of the CAA winning line-up have graduated, including CAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Lauren Curran. The former W&M forward took an assistant coaching job at Hofstra for the 2024 season, following former W&M associate head coach Hillary Fitts who is starting the head coaching job with the Pride, after her departure from W&M in March 2024.
Coach Ellis is purely looking forward and seeking to carry the positive energy into 2024. “I love the feeling of starting a new season. After winning a championship, it certainly energizes the team to work hard over the summer and come back ready to set a new goal for the season. With eight graduating seniors and losing three coaches, the team will be working hard to build new connections on the field and finding out what style of hockey works best for this group of William and Mary field hockey players. I look forward to watching the growth of this team.”
The Green and Gold are no doubt left with some outstanding players who will be ready to begin the title defense after a triumphant 2023 season. Pyper Friedman, entering her senior year, will be looking to carry on from her dominant junior season. The Phoenix, MD native was recently named to the all-CAA preseason team, following a number of accolades earlier in the year, such as being named two-time CAA player of the week, ranking 64th nationally in assists (8 on the year), and earning first team All- South Region honors.
Another member of the Tribe hoping to continue her remarkable run of form is graduate student and skillful goalkeeper Maddie George. The Virginia native was also named to the all-CAA preseason first team, after setting a program record in 2023 for the number of saves in the Tribe’s defeat to UNC Chapel Hill (16 saves).
Josie Mae Gruendel will also be one to watch following a standout rookie season for the North Carolinian. Gruendel was named to the all-CAA rookie team in 2023 and started 15 of the 21 matches a freshman for the Tribe. The rising sophomore was also recently named as an honorable mention in the all-CAA preseason first team.
Looking ahead to the Green and Gold 2024 schedule, there are many enticing matchups which will be essential in the leadup to their CAA title defense. Exciting non-conference matchups include a face-off against Duke away on August 30th . The Tribe will be looking for revenge over the Blue Devils after taking a close 1-0 defeat to them last year.
They also play away in Charlottesville against UVA on September 29th, and host ODU on September 8th. Ellis has also added a thrilling home matchup against Harvard on September 6th, and it will be the first match between the Tribe and the Crimson since 1997 (!).
Being in an extremely competitive conference, the Green and Gold will be looking to maximise their win tally in CAA matchups in the lead up to the conference tournament. After ending the 2023 season with a 12-9 record and a second-round NCAA appearance (and losing the eventual champions, UNC Chapel Hill, FYI), Ellis will be surely hoping to equal and even improve on their historical 2023 season. CAA home matchups will be against Towson, Delaware and Drexel, where we will no doubt be looking to turn the tables on the uncharacteristic 7-1 loss that the Tribe took to Dragons last season.
The closing regular season game will be away at Monmouth, whom the Tribe beat 3-2 in double overtime in the 2023 CAA final to take the crown. The Hawks will no doubt be hungry for revenge as they host the 2024 CAA championships, but there is no question that the Tribe will be eager to carry their undefeated streak against the team from New Jersey. With a plethora of talent and new-earned confidence, the Green and Gold are seeming to be in good shape for the fall of 2024.
William and Mary will commence their season with a scrimmage on August 25 th at Maryland, and then will open at home against Richmond on September 1 st at 1pm, so be sure to get out there and support the women of the Tribe!
Photos courtesy of Tribe Athletics
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