NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The No. 6/8 Washington and Lee University women's lacrosse team downed Christopher Newport University 11-8 on Wednesday afternoon.
The Captains (1-1) and Generals (2-0) traded the lead on four occasions in the first half but after trailing CNU 5-3 midway through the second quarter, W&L used a five and three-goal run to claim the non-league contest.
After the initial 5-0 run, CNU forced a General's timeout after a series of defensive breakdowns and scored three straight goals to tie up the contest at 8-8 in the middle of third quarter.
Shannon Timoney (Mendham, N.J. / West Morris Mendham) responded with what would prove to be the game-winning goal out of the huddle. After a new 90 was awarded off a CNU penalty, Timoney gathered the ball on the left hash and drove across the 8-meter fan. Her diving shot in front of the crease found the back of the net with 4:55 to go in the third.
The Captains were steering the ship and controlling the pace early in the game. After a 3-2 first quarter, WLU trailed CNU 5-3 with 8:24 to play before the break. Timoney then scored a pair of goals in the final six minutes of the half that sandwiched a Walker McKnight (Nashville, Tenn. / Harpeth Hall) tally that tied up the contest at fives. Timoney's second goal of the skid, an 8-meter shot from the left hash, gave the Generals the 6-5 lead going into halftime.
The Blue and White defense held the Captains scoreless for nearly 15 minutes between the middle of the second and third stanzas. During that time span, W&L rattled off five unanswered goals, Timoney notched her third goal of the day followed by a Hanna Bishop (Bronxville N.Y. / Bronxville) unassisted tally, which forced CNU to call a timeout after falling behind 8-5.
The Captains answered back with three straight of their own to send the Generals into a huddle of their own to recollect themselves. The Captains found success on a Brooklelyn Morrison goal from Kelsey Winters and a pair of 8-meter goals by Julia LaPicca to tie up the game 8-8.
After Timoney's game-winner, Jenny Lisovicz (Glen Ridge, N.J. / Glen Ridge) scored two insurance goals during the final quarter, a free-position goal and the second off a Timoney feed to put the Generals at their final score 11-8.
Timoney led all scorers with five points off four goals and the assist. Bishop added a pair of goals and an assist for three points. Alex Petras (Manhasset, N.Y. / Manhasset) and Claire Horner (Richmond, Va. / St. Catherine's) rounded out the Blue and White's scoring six.
LaPicca led the home team's offense with three goals off five shots for CNU. Taylor Schoolat made seven stops against 11 goals for the Captains.
W&L outshot Christopher Newport 24-22 and the two teams evenly split 36 shots on goals. Caroline Kranich (State College, Pa. / Mercersburg) made 10 stops and led the Generals to 12 of 16 successful clears. The Blue and White defense and transition game caused 10 Captains' turnovers. Allie Schwab (Bryn Mawr, Pa. / Harriton), Eugenie Rovegno (Duxbury, Mass. / Duxbury) and Timoney all recorded a pair of caused turnovers.
Allie Doyle (Ridgewood, N.J. / Ridgewood) scooped up three ground balls. Rovegno dominated the circle with a career-high nine draw controls, Cat Caples (Reistertown, Md. / St. Paul's School for Girls) added three to help push the Generals to a doubled-up 14-7 advantage over the course of the game at the center.
The Generals will host No. 4 Salisbury on Saturday, February 25 on Watt Field.
