SWEET BRIAR, VA. -- The Washington and Lee field hockey team dropped a 3-2 decision at Sweet Briar on Tuesday afternoon.

The Generals fell behind early as Sweet Briar (7-4, 3-3 ODAC) scored two goals in the first half and carried a 2-0 lead to halftime. Sophomore forward Ali Buffham (Fallbrook, Ca./Fallbrook) put the Vixens on the board when she tallied a goal 7:48 into the game. The Vixens made it 2-0 at the 17:41 mark as junior defender Courtenay Coalter (Virginia Beach, Va./Norfolk Academy) converted a penalty stroke.

W&L (2-6, 2-5 ODAC) fell behind 3-0 as Buffham notched her second goal of the game at 16:07 of the second half. However, the Generals refused to quit. Freshman defender Erin Rathbone (Darnestown, Md./Northwest) converted a penalty stroke at the 14:52 mark of the second half to slice the Vixen lead to 3-1. It was Rathbone's first goal of the season. W&L sophomore foward Kelly Taffe (Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle) then tallied her team-leading sixth goal of the season with 6:01 to play to cut the lead to 3-2, but that's as close as the Generals would get.

W&L senior goalkeeper Deidra MacLeod (Weston, Mass./Weston) made seven saves in the losing effort. Sweet Briar freshman goalkeeper Lori Giguere (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) also made seven saves.

W&L returns to action when it hosts Lynchburg at 7:00 pm on Friday.

-- GENERALS --

GOALS
W&L - Erin Rathbone, Kelly Taffe
SBC- Ali Buffham (2), Courtney Coalter

ASSISTS
SBC - Ginger Tripp

GOALKEEPERS
Deidra MacLeod (W&L) 70:00, 3GA, 7 saves
Lori Giguere (SBC) 70:00, 2GA, 7 saves

TEAM STATS
W&L - 14 shots, 7 saves, 1 defensive save, 9 penalty corners, 1 penalty corner
SBC - 11 shots, 7 saves, 12 penalty corners, 1 penalty stroke