LEXINGTON, Va. – The Washington and Lee men's soccer team scored once each within five minutes of both halves and held off a late rally from SUNY Oneonta on Sunday to advance past the Red Dragons, 2-1, in the second round of the NCAA Championship.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
W&L (14-4-4) struck first in just the fifth minute of the game with senior
Grant McCarty netting the score. Sophomore
Alec Perez tried his luck, shooting through traffic from the top of the 18, but his shot banged off the left post. The ricochet came right to McCarty for the easy tap in finish, as the Oneonta (14-4-3) keeper was out of position after diving after Perez's attempt.
The Generals' defense was tested throughout the first half as they conceded 10 corner kicks in the opening 45 minutes of play. They held strong, however, and kept the Red Dragons out of the goal on three shots on target.
W&L then tacked on a vital second goal just 1:22 into the second half. Following a foul outside the box, McCarty took the free kick and found junior
Weyimi Agbeyegbe on the back post, who guided the ball past Nate Hanna for a 2-0 lead.
Oneonta got one goal back in the 67th minute when John Bernardi made a long run through the middle of the field, veered to his right and fired a shot that found room inside the left post. After that, the Red Dragons managed four total shots across the final 23:10, but only one was on goal, which W&L sophomore keeper
Will Joseph leapt for and punched over the crossbar for a corner kick.
TOP PERFORMERS:
McCarty had a hand in both Blue and White goals on the day, scoring the first and assisting on the second, for his eighth goal and third assist this season. Agbeyegbe increased his team- and ODAC-leading goal total to 13 for the year, while Perez was credited with the assist on the McCarty goal, his third.
Joseph played all 90 minutes in goal and made four saves to keep the Generals ahead for 85:34 in the contest.
Bernardi scored unassisted on two total shots and one on goal in the game, while Luigi Prosperi led the offense with three attempts. Hanna played the duration of the contest and made two saves.
NOTEWORTHY POINTS:
Another goal and two points for Agbeyegbe on Sunday resulted in more movement for him in program stats leaderboards. Now with 34 goals and 86 points in his career, Agbeyegbe is tied for fourth in points with Scott Fechnay '69 and Tim Henry '66, and he moved into sole possession of seventh place on the goals list. He needs one more to tie Dylan Ritch '19 for sixth.
Agbeyegbe's goal also extended his NCAA Tournament goal streak to five games, as the junior has scored in each NCAA contest over the last two seasons.
As a team, the Generals advance to the NCAA Round of 16 for the fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament (no tournament held in 2020-21). Across eight all-time NCAA Tournament appearances that saw multiple games from the Generals, this year's team is the first to allow fewer than two goals in its first two contests.
TEAM STATS:
SUNY Oneonta finished the day with 16 corner kicks, and held a 10-1 advantage in the corner kick department at the half. The Red Dragons also edged the Blue and White, 16-15, in total shots, but the Generals held a 9-8 margin in the second half.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will face Tufts in the NCAA Round of 16 next weekend. The date, site and game time are yet to be determined.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
