LEXINGTON, Va. – Sophomore defender
Louisa Bynum (Charlotte, N.C./Providence Day School) scored two goals, one in each half, to power the Washington and Lee women's soccer team to a season-opening 2-0 win over Southern Virginia on Wednesday afternoon.
The win marks the third straight season the Generals have opened a campaign with a win, and it also marks their 12th consecutive game without a loss (11-0-1), dating back to last season. The Knights fall to 0-1 on the season with the loss.
W&L controlled the game from the opening kick, but the contest remained scoreless through the first 39 minutes. In the 40th minute, a centering pass inside the SVU 18-yard box from senior forward
Emily Leding (Little Rock, Ark./Pulaski Academy) was played out by a defender. Bynum gathered the loose ball and fired a right-footed shot that curled away from the diving goalkeeper and inside the left post to get the Generals on the board.
In the 57th minute, the Generals won a corner kick that was put into the center of the box by sophomore midfielder
Emma Mansfield (Washington, D.C./The Potomac School). The ball found Bynum and was kicked away, but after a failed clear from the defense, Bynum regained possession and put the ball inside the right post with her left foot to double the lead.
Bynum's brace marked her first two career goals and she finished with a game-high tying three shots. Senior midfielder
Erin Hoeh (Chesterland, Ohio/West Geauga) and sophomore defender
Cameron Grainger (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day) also took three shots each, while eight other Generals combined for 11 shots.
For the Knights, junior midfielder Makinna Winterton took two shots, while sophomore defender Jami Kovatch and first-year midfielder Anna Roberts each shot once.
W&L senior goalkeeper
Grace Coombs (Boca Raton, Fla./Saint Andrews School) (1-0) made a pair of saves to earn the win and record her 15th career shutout. SVU junior keeper Alyssa Trueman (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing a first-half goal. First-year Abby Bloxham played in the second half and allowed one goal and made three saves.
The W&L defense performed strongly all game, as it allowed just four total shots and two on goal, including only one shot in the first half. On the offensive side, W&L finished the contest with 20 shots, taking 10 in both halves. The Generals also won the corner kick battle, 7-0.
The Generals will return to action on Saturday when they kick-off the W&L Invitational by taking on Pfeiffer at 12:00 pm on Watt Field.
