WINCHESTER, Va. – The Washington and Lee women's soccer team extended its season-opening winning streak to six games with a 2-0 victory at Shenandoah on Thursday night.
The Generals reach the 6-0 start to a season for just the fourth time in program history and it is the first occurrence since the 1998 campaign. Shenandoah drops to 3-5 overall and 1-5 in conference, while the Generals hold a 5-0 ODAC record.
The game remained scoreless until the 39th minute, when the Generals were awarded a corner kick. The cross was sent into the box, but Shenandoah first-year keeper Jordan Haack got a hand on the ball to punch it down. Through a scrum of players, sophomore defender
Caroline Lawson (White Post, Va./Highland School) got her left foot on the ball and put enough on the shot to get the ball past Haack and inside the right post.
Just 42 seconds later, first-year defender
Cameron Grainger (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day) took another corner for W&L, and this time found junior defender
Chloe Rapier (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) inside the six-yard box, as Rapier knocked the ball into the net to put the Generals up, 2-0.
The W&L defense had another strong game, limiting the Hornets to six total shots and just one attempt on goal to post the team's fourth straight clean sheet and fifth of the season. The Generals have not allowed a goal in the last 406:16 of game time and have conceded just once in 540:00 this season.
Lawson's goal was the first of her career, and it came on her only shot attempt of the night. Rapier's tally was her first of the season and third as a General, as she led all starters with two shot attempts. Sophomore forward
Ava Boussy (Finksburg, Md./Westminster) came off the bench and led the W&L offense with three shots. Junior goalkeeper
Grace Coombs (Boca Raton, Fla./Saint Andrews School) (5-0) made one save in 90 minutes to notch her second shutout of the season and the 12th of her career.
Shenandoah junior forward Maiya Pencile totaled a team-high three shots in the contest, while just three other Hornet players shot once apiece. Haack played all 90 minutes in goal and made four saves.
W&L held a 13-6 edge in total shots for the game, including a 6-2 first-half shot advantage. The Generals also earned seven corner kicks in the game, six of which came in the first half. Shenandoah took two corners.
The Generals will be back in action on Sunday when they travel to Lynchburg for a 2:00 pm ODAC matchup with the Hornets.
