SALEM, Va. – Two early-half goals propelled the Washington and Lee women's soccer team to a 2-0 road win against Roanoke on Wednesday evening to extend the team's undefeated streak to 13 games.
The Generals (9-0-4, 4-0-1 ODAC) scored one goal in each half, with both coming inside the first eight minutes of each frame. First-year midfielder
Helen Otteni (Arlington, Va. / The Potomac School) gave W&L the lead in the eighth minute after she recovered a loose ball that was played out of the box by the Roanoke (7-5, 3-1 ODAC) defense on the right side. Otteni gathered the ball with two right-footed touches before she shot with her left, and put the ball past the keeper to the left post.
In the 53rd minute, senior midfielder
Grace Wielechowski (Charlotte, N.C. / Charlotte Catholic) forced a turnover in the Roanoke defensive midfield. Senior forward
Lindsay White (Greenville, S.C. / JL Mann) picked up the ball and played it back to Wielechowski cutting into the box. Wielechowski then took on a defender, lost the ball momentarily before regaining possession, and scored inside the right post from the left of the penalty spot.
The win gives the Generals their third straight win and 13th consecutive game without a loss to open the season. The run marks the third-longest undefeated streak to start a season in program history, and it is also just outside the Top 5 single-season unbeaten streak list.
Wielechowski took a team-high three shots on the night, with her goal counting as her team-leading sixth of the season. Otteni's goal came on her only shot of the game, and it was her fourth score of the year. First-year midfielder
Bryn Bissinger (Greenville, S.C. / St. Joseph's Catholic) added two shots and one on goal for the Blue and White.
In net, junior
Sydney Smith (Damascus, Md. / Damascus) (9-0-4) made five saves to record her ODAC-leading sixth clean sheet of the season. Smith made two saves in the first half before stopping three shots in the second.
The Maroons were led on offense by Brooke Nicholson, who took a game-high four shots and put two attempts on goal. Morgan O'Neill tallied two shots and one on goal, while Lauren Rubino and Cameron Shackford finished with one attempt on goal each. Carrington Lippi made four saves in 90 minutes of action as the Roanoke netminder.
Shot totals finished even at 10-10 for the game, as W&L outshot RC, 6-5, in the first half, before the Maroons owned a 5-4 edge in the second half. The Blue and White also tallied eight corner kicks and conceded four.
The Generals will be back in action on Saturday when they host No. 18 Virginia Wesleyan at 5:00 pm on Watt Field.
