LEXINGTON, Va. – The 10th-ranked Washington and Lee men's soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to 13 games with a 5-0 win over Averett on Senior Day Saturday.
The Generals improve to 9-1-4 overall with the win and 5-0-2 in the ODAC, while the Cougars fall to 4-7-3 overall and 2-3-2 in conference. With the win the Generals extend their unbeaten streak to 13 games, which is now the third-longest single-season unbeaten streak in program history and the fourth-longest overall undefeated run in program history.
Senior midfielder
Samuel Bass (Charlotte, N.C. / Myers Park) put the Generals on the board in the 15th minute, when he received a pass in the midfield from senior midfielder
Michael Kutsanzira (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe / Putnam Science Academy (Conn.)). Bass stepped back to gather the ball before he sent it ahead for himself, where he fired from the penalty spot and inside the right post for the score.
Junior midfielder
Grant McCarty (Dallas, Texas / Parish Episcopal) tallied a pair of goals in the win, coming in the 25th and 50th minutes, as the team's second and fourth goals. Both scores for McCarty came following saved shots by teammates, as McCarty finished on a rebound from a shot by junior defender
Park Bruner (Atlanta, Ga. / Atlanta International) in the 25th minute. In the 50th minute, sophomore midfielder
Weyimi Agbeyegbe (Atlanta, Ga. / Westminster) had a shot saved, and it redirected to McCarty who tapped it in for the score.
The team's third goal saw quick passing at the end of the sequence. Senior forward
Harry Barringer (Greenwich, Conn. / Brunswick School) made a run up the right side, before he passed across the box to first-year midfielder
Aaron Gonzalez Sobrino (Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain / Williston Northampton School (Mass.)). Gonzalez Sobrino then gave a one-touch pass back to the middle of the six-yard box where senior midfielder
John Peterson (Towson, Md. / Loyola Blakefield) scored with his right foot.
W&L's final goal came in the 62nd minute on an Averett own goal, after a crossing pass knocked off a defender and into the net.
Bass's opening goal was the 24th of his career and 68th point, moving him into eighth place on the program's all-time points list. McCarty's goals were his first two of the season, while Peterson also tallied his first score of the year. Kutsanzira and Bruner each notched their fourth assists of the season, Agbeyegbe logged his second and Gonzalez Sobrino and Barringer each had their first.
In goal, first-year
Will Joseph (Wilmette, Ill. / New Trier) (9-0-4) and senior
Rye McMillen (Fairfax, Va. / The Heights School) combined to produce the team's seventh shutout of the season and third straight. Joseph made one save in the first half and extended his consecutive shutout minutes streak to 254:12. McMillen was not required to make a save in the second half, as the W&L defense limited Averett to just one shot attempt.
Jonthomas Buckley led the Cougars with two shots on the day, while Alexander Soerensen took one shot and had it saved by Joseph. In goal, Lukas Hanusek (2-2-1) played all 90 minutes for the Cougars, and he made 10 saves.
W&L took 13 shots in both halves to finish the contest with a 26-5 advantage in total attempts, with a 14-1 margin in shots on goal. Corner kicks also favored the Blue and White by a 14-0 count.
The Generals will be back in action on Tuesday when they host Randolph in a 7:00 pm ODAC matchup.
