SALEM, Va. – The Washington and Lee men's soccer team overcame a two-goal, second-half deficit in the national semifinals on Friday night, but the team fell in a penalty shootout, 2-0, after 110 minutes against No. 13 Amherst ended in a 2-2 draw.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
With the Mammoths (17-2-4) leading by a 1-0 score entering the second half, Mohammed Nuhu and Niall Murphy teamed up for a quick second goal just 28 seconds into the new frame. Murphy flicked the ball on down field, while Nuhu got in behind the defense and looped a shot over W&L (15-4-6) goalkeeper
Will Joseph for the 2-0 lead.
Seeking to shift the momentum back in their favor, the Generals attack claimed longer possession over the final 25 minutes, reducing the Amherst chances. In the 67th minute, junior
Will Luik dribbled towards the 18, but backed out and found sophomore
Willy Hall on the left side. With plenty of space, Hall moved to his left to gain possession and surveyed the defense for a play. With his right foot, Hall sent the ball into the box, and curled the ball just inside the right post.
The Generals tallied three shots over the next 20 minutes, but held Amherst to one in that span. In the 88th minute, Luik had the ball at the top of the 18 and ripped a shot goalward that took a redirection, freezing the keeper and finding the back of the net on the right side of the frame.
Twenty additional minutes of play went scoreless, despite W&L holding a 7-0 advantage in shots in the overtime periods. In the shootout, the first round matched the Generals' quarterfinal shootout, as both goalkeepers came up with saves. Over the next three rounds, the Mammoths scored twice, while the Generals hit the crossbar twice and had another attempt saved by Max Landa. Amherst's Shawn Rapal tallied the clinching score.
The Mammoths' first goal came in the 18th minute on a goal from Fynn Hayton-Ruffner, who hit a shot from outside the box into the top-left corner of the goal.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Hall's goal to cut the W&L deficit to one was his first of the year, while Luik's equalizer with 2:21 left was his second. Hall also led the Generals with four shot attempts, while senior
Evan DiPaula got three shots off. Joseph played all 110 minutes in goal and made three saves, including two acrobatic stops to keep Amherst off the board.
Nuhu's goal was also his only shot of the game, with Murphy picking up the assist on the play. Hayton-Ruffner took two shots and put both on goal, while he and Ada Okorogheye tied for the team high with two shots. Landa finished with two saves in goal across all 110 minutes of play.
TEAM STATS:
The Generals finished the game with a final 16-8 margin in total shots after outshooting the Mammoths 13-3 after the second half. W&L also took five corner kicks, all after halftime, and conceded four.
END OF SEASON NOTES:
The Generals conclude the 2023 season with an overall record of 15-4-6. With a 0.720 winning percentage this season, W&L has posted nine consecutive seasons with a winning percentage at least that high. W&L also finished the year with 59 goals scored, the third highest total in program history.
HALL GETS THE GENERALS ON THE BOARD:
LUIK EQUALIZES IN THE 88TH MINUTE:
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.
