MOUNT BERRY, Ga. – The Washington and Lee women's soccer team earned its third consecutive win with a 2-1 decision over Berry (Ga.) on the road on Sunday afternoon.
The Generals (4-0-2) scored the game's first goal just 89 seconds into the contest to gain early momentum. After a Berry (4-3) turnover at midfield, first-year midfielder
Helen Otteni (Arlington, Va. / The Potomac School) played the ball up the right sideline for senior midfielder
Grace Wielechowski (Charlotte, N.C. / Charlotte Catholic). Wielechowski took a few dribbles upfield and then fired a cross where her pass met a leaping
Sarah Zimmerman (Cincinnati, Ohio / Cincinnati Country Day) for a header goal.
The Vikings equalized in the 36th minute following a clear off a W&L free kick. Tori Toellner created a breakaway chance with a long pass behind the W&L defense to Mia Ries, who beat junior goalkeeper
Sydney Smith (Damascus, Md. / Damascus) inside the right post for the score.
W&L moved back out in front in the 58th minute when sophomore defender
Ann Riley Huber (Atlanta, Ga. / Holy Innocents' Episcopal) stole the ball from a Berry midfielder at midfield and made her way towards goal. Huber approached another defender, but moved past her with some slick foot work and a fake out. From about 25 yards out, and in the center of the field, Huber launched a shot that curved away from the keeper and into the top-left corner of the frame.
Over the final 32 minutes, the W&L defense limited the Berry offense to just one shot overall, which sailed wide in the 62nd minute.
Zimmerman led the W&L offense with a game-high three shots, as her second-minute goal was her second in the last three games. Huber's winner in the 58th minute was her first of the year and second of her career. Wielechowski and Otteni were both credited with an assist on the Zimmerman score, the first assist of the season for both players.
In goal, Smith (4-0-2) earned the win after she made a pair of saves in 90 minutes of play. Smith made one save in each half, and she now owns a 1.03 goals-against average for the season across 523:21 of game time.
For the Vikings, Ries took a team-best two shots on the day, scoring the team's lone goal while coming off the bench. Julia Massa (4-3) received the loss in goal, but made nine saves over the course of 90 minutes.
W&L owned a majority of the offensive chances, finishing with a 16-5 advantage in total shots and an 11-3 margin in shots on goal. The Blue and White also took eight corner kicks in the game, while holding Berry to three.
The Generals will return to action on Wednesday in their third straight road game, a 7:00 pm kick-off against nearby rival Southern Virginia.
