The UNCW women’s soccer team overcame a halftime deficit on Sunday to defeat William & Mary 2-1 in the CAA semifinals, punching their ticket to the conference championship game.
The victory marks the first time the Seahawks have advanced to the title match since 2020.
After falling behind in the third minute, the top-seeded Seahawks utilized a dominant second half to overturn the scoreline. This comeback follows a regular season where the team became the first program in CAA history to finish with an unbeaten overall record of 11-0-7.
The match began with immediate pressure from the third-seeded Tribe, who found the net early to take a 1-0 lead. Despite the early setback, UNCW’s defensive unit—composed of Macy Lutz, Ava Chuderewicz, Rachel Fry, and Alyssa Chuderewicz—limited William & Mary to just three shots in each half.
The momentum shifted in the 56th minute when freshman Kamrey Watkins scored the equalizer following an assist from Allie Planeaux. Planeaux, who was named the 2026 CAA Midfielder of the Year, then secured the win in the 80th minute by finding the back of the net.
The statistical dominance of the Seahawks was evident in their offensive output. While William & Mary goalkeeper Gwen Doughty recorded nine saves to keep the Tribe in contention, UNCW outshot her opponents 21-6, including an 11-4 advantage in shots on goal.
“I feel like a few times I was like, Ok, I wanna cross it here, but I was like, you know what? I’m just gonna take this one, and I’m glad I did,” Planeaux said, describing her game-winning moment to WWAY.
According to WWAY, Neal noted that the team nearly fell into the same execution trap that led to a shutout loss against William & Mary two weeks prior, but halftime adjustments prevented a repeat.
Because UNCW secured the top overall seed during the regular season, they have earned the right to host the championship match at the UNCW Soccer Stadium. The specific date and kickoff time for the final remain to be announced by the CAA.
The path to this semifinal was paved by a historic season. UNCW’s 6-0-3 mark in league play made them only the second women’s soccer program to produce back-to-back unbeaten records in CAA play, joining the 1994 and 1995 William & Mary teams.
Coach Neal told WWAY that the group was motivated by the “taste of the other side” after losing in penalty kicks on their home field during last year’s semifinals.
While the Seahawks await their opponent, the rest of the bracket has been finalized. The championship will feature the winner of the UNCW semifinal against the winner of the matchup between No. 1 seed Towson and the winner of the Hofstra and Stony Brook contest.
| Team | Overall Record | CAA Record |
|---|---|---|
| UNCW | 12-0-7 | 6-0-3 |
| William & Mary | 5-8-5 | 3-3-3 |
| Towson | 9-5-3 | 6-2-1 |
The championship game is expected to take place on either Saturday, Nov. 14, or Sunday, Nov. 15, depending on the tournament schedule. All postseason contests are slated to be streamed live on FloCollege.
