LEXINGTON, Va. – A first-half goal from senior midfielder
Caitlin Barnes (Damascus, Md. / Damascus) and five saves from junior goalkeeper
Sydney Smith (Damascus, Md. / Damascus) helped the Washington and Lee women's soccer team to a 1-0 upset win over 18th-ranked Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday.
With their win, the Generals remain undefeated through 14 games this season, with a 10-0-4 record, which is the sixth-longest single-season unbeaten streak in program history. W&L is also now 5-0-1 in ODAC play. The Marlins drop to 10-2-1 overall and 5-1 in the ODAC with the loss.
Following a throw-in in the 39th minute, and after entering the first half as a substitute, senior forward
Ava Boussy (Finksburg, Md. / Westminster) made a run into the right corner. She found her way around a Virginia Wesleyan defender, cut towards the goal and passed as she entered the goal box. Boussy's pass found Barnes to the right of the penalty spot, and Barnes one-timed a shot into the top-right corner of the frame to give W&L a 1-0 lead.
Smith (10-0-4) saw a majority of her action in the second half, and came up with five saves over the final 45 minutes to preserve the clean sheet and the win for W&L. Four of Smith's saves came inside the 81st to 86th minutes, including kick saves at the left post in the 83rd and 84th minutes.
Barnes' goal in the first half marked her second this season, while Boussy's assist on the play was her first. Senior midfielder
Grace Wielechowski (Charlotte, N.C. / Charlotte Catholic) led the offense with three shot attempts in the game, including one on goal, with sophomore midfielder
Ann Riley Huber (Atlanta, Ga. / Holy Innocents' Episcopal) attempting a pair of shots.
Smith logged her ODAC-leading seventh clean sheet of the season in the team's fourth consecutive shutout and fifth in the last six games. Smith also lowered her goals-against average for the season to 0.61, and she has not allowed a goal over the last 302:13 of game time.
Junior Molly Gobble led the Virginia Wesleyan offense with a game-high four shot attempts, with first-year Shyenne Diaz taking three shots on the day. Sophomore Alexis Miller tallied two shots and put both on goal. In net, Rachel Quigley (10-2-1) made three saves across the 90 minutes of play, including a leaping stop just under the crossbar in the first half.
Virginia Wesleyan outshot W&L by a 12-9 count after owning a 9-4 advantage in attempts in the second half. Corner kicks favored the Blue and White by a 6-5 edge.
The Generals will return to the pitch on Wednesday when they host Bridgewater (10-3, 6-0 ODAC) at 7:00 pm.
