LEXINGTON, Va. – Senior forward Destinie Graves scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute to help fifth-ranked Centre to a 2-1 win over the Washington and Lee women's soccer team on Saturday afternoon in the first day of the W&L Classic at Watt Field.

W&L (1-2) controlled the opening minutes of the contest and had a good look in the 17th minute when sophomore midfielder Megan Engeland (Yardley, Pa. / Pennsbury) drilled a ball into the box, but senior goalkeeper Olivia Alford made the stop for Centre with a diving save. 

The Colonels (5-0) would be the first to get on the board at 36:30, when a shot by Graves hit off the post and sophomore forward Maddy Coleman was there to put the rebound into the back of the net. The Colonels would take a 1-0 lead into halftime.

The Generals bumped up the pressure to start the second half and it paid off in the 54th minute when senior midfielder Katie Pettit (San Diego, Calif. / Scripps Ranch) took a corner that bent into the top left corner of the goal, just out of Alford's reach. The score would remain tied 1-1, until 1:56 left in the half when Graves fired it into the net from the top of the box.

W&L held a 16-11 advantage on shots and a 9-4 edge in corners. Sophomore goalkeeper Maggie Nolan (Flanders, N.J. / Mount Olive) made two saves for the Generals, while Alford had eight saves for the Colonels.

In the second game of the W&L Classic, Bridgewater defeated Birmingham Southern 5-0.

The Generals return to action tomorrow at noon, when they face Birmingham Southern in the second day of the W&L Classic.  

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