VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Junior midfielder John Peterson (Towson, Md./Loyola Blakefield) accounted for two goals over the final 12 minutes to propel the No. 1 Washington and Lee men's soccer team to a 3-1 win at Virginia Wesleyan to close the 2021 regular season on Tuesday evening.
 
The win caps off an undefeated regular season for the Generals at 13-0-2 overall, and W&L also clinches the top seed for the upcoming ODAC Tournament. W&L finishes the regular season with an 8-0-1 ODAC record, while the Marlins fall to 11-3-4 overall and 4-2-3 in conference with the loss.
 
With the score tied, 1-1, in the 78th minute, Peterson dribbled up to the top of the 18-yard box and passed off to his right to sophomore defender Park Bruner (Atlanta, Ga./Atlanta International). Bruner took and touch and sent the ball back in to Peterson inside the six, where Peterson fought of a pair of defenders and scored from close range to give the Generals their final lead of the game.
 
The Generals' third goal came with 18 seconds remaining when precise passing in the box led to a score from junior midfielder Samuel Bass (Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park) off a pass from Peterson.
 
W&L took the initial lead in the game in the 35th minute. Junior defender Charley Colby (Prairie Village, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) took a throw-in up the field on the left side that reached the center of the box. A Virginia Wesleyan defender leaped to head the ball, but the ball went backwards towards the goal and crossed the goal line before any Marlins players were able to clear.
 
The Marlins scored their goal in the 64th minute when senior forward Scott Signorelli sent a long-distance free kick into the box, where first-year midfielder Everett McCloskey scored from the left side, inside the right post.
 
Bass's goal was his 10th of the season to mark the first double-digit goal scorer for the Generals since Dylan Ritch '19 scored 14 during the 2018 season. Peterson's three-point effort gives him 15 for the year on six goals and three assists. Bass, junior midfielder Michael Kutsanzira (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe/Putnam Science Academy (Conn.)) and first-year midfielder Weyimi Agbeyegbe (Atlanta, Ga./Westminster) led the W&L offense with three shots each.
 
First-year goalkeeper Matt Semcesen (Waxhaw, N.C./Marvin Ridge) (2-0) earned his second straight win, as he made two saves across the 90 minutes of play.
 
McCloskey led the VWU offense with three shots on the night, and senior goalkeeper Griffin Potter (10-3-4) made six saves in 90 minutes of work between the posts.
 
The Generals will host an ODAC Quarterfinal game on Saturday in their next action. The start time and opponent are yet to be determined.