Young runs away with CAC title as cross country teams host conference championships

By MIKEY BARNES

The University of Mary Washington women’s soccer team advanced to the Capital Athletic Conference title game with a 2-1 win over Salisbury University on Wednesday, Nov. 5, remaining to be the lone surviving varsity team for UMW in the CAC tournaments.

The women’s soccer team advanced to the second round of its tournament after a 3-2 win over St. Mary’s on Saturday, Nov. 1. The team traveled to Salisbury to take on the second-seeded Sea Gulls in a do-or-die semifinal game. Junior Jessica Bednarick took complete control of the game, scoring both of the Eagles’ goals unassisted in the first half.

The win puts UMW against whoever is the winner of Christopher Newport University vs. Frostburg State game on Saturday, Nov. 8. The Eagles were the last team to make the tournament, making their run to the title all the more special.

The UMW men’s soccer team was one of those that experienced an earlier-than-expected end to their season. Beginning their CAC title run on Saturday, Nov. 1, the men’s soccer team faced off against CNU in the first round at the Battlegrounds.

The Eagles upended CNU in their last meeting this season, outscoring the Captains 2-1 on the road. The script was flipped this time around, however, as the Captains shut out the Eagles by a score of 2-0, dropping UMW’s season record to 8-8-3.

The volleyball team was also one of those who began their offseason on a sour note. Despite their stellar 22-11 regular season record, the Eagles’ 5-4 conference record landed them the fourth-seed in the CAC tournament, pitting them up against fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s College (17-9, 5-4). The two teams clashed in the Anderson Center on Tuesday, Nov. 4 in front of a rowdy UMW crowd.

The Eagles took the first set of the match 25-20, but lost control of the game thereafter. The Seahawks took the last three sets of the match by scores of 26-24, 25-23 and 25-15 respectively. The match was very evenly matched, despite the lopsided finals score.

The No. 14 ranked UMW field hockey team played host to CNU in the CAC tournament semifinal at the Battlegrounds on Wednesday, Nov. 5. Much like their men’s soccer and volleyball counterparts, the field hockey team came up short in the hunt for a CAC title, losing to the Captains 3-0, likely ending the Eagles’ season barring an at-large NCAA tournament berth.

Despite the slew of UMW teams that were eliminated in their respective tournaments, the women’s soccer team has the opportunity to win its first CAC title in five years.