LEXINGTON, Va. – Two second-half goals powered the Washington and Lee women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory in the 2023 home opener against Southern Virginia on Tuesday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Despite the game remaining in a scoreless draw for over the first 51 minutes of play, the Generals (3-0-1) held a sizeable margin in possession and only surrendered three shots while taking 16 of their own. In the 52nd minute, the Knights (1-3-1) tried maneuvering through W&L players in their own defensive zone, when a clear attempt got booted back up the field by sophomore
Bryn Bissinger.
Bissinger's ball came right to the feet of sophomore
Sophie Berman on the right side, who turned towards the goal. Berman dribbled towards the middle of the field then quickly cut back to her right to create space from an SVU defender. Another defender closed, but Berman stuck with the play and, with the outside of her left foot just before the six-yard box, flicked the ball inside the left post to give the Generals the lead.
W&L maintained control of the game for the next 23 minutes, firing away on goal and limiting the SVU offensive chances. In the 75th minute, senior
Liz Sullivan created an opportunity for the offense when she sent a ball from the middle of the field through the SVU defense and up the right sideline for sophomore
Sarah Zimmerman. Zimmerman controlled the ball on the touch line and made her way into the corner, before sending a cross into the box. Senior
Cameron Grainger was camped out at the top of the six, and met the ball with her head, depositing her shot into the lower-right corner of the goal.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Three players made their way onto the scoresheet for the Blue and White, including two for the first time this season. Berman's opening goal was her first this season, and Zimmerman's assist was also her first. Grainger's header goal in the 75th minute went down as her team-leading third of the year. Grainger also led all players with eight shots on the night, while Berman tallied seven.
In goal, senior
Sydney Smith logged her second clean sheet of the season and the 11th of her career. Smith was required to make three saves in the game, including one in the second half, as the W&L defensive unit clamped down on Southern Virginia for a majority of the contest.
Courtney Montes and Makinna Winterton were the offensive leaders for the Knights with two shots each. Katrina Gardner started in goal and made five saves in the first half, before giving way to Chloe Miller in the second half. Miller allowed both W&L goals and made three saves.
NOTES OF IMPORTANCE:
With the win, the Generals improve to 7-0 all-time against their nearby rivals, with six of those wins being shutouts. In the seven all-time meetings, the Generals have allowed just one goal to the Knights, which came in a 7-1 win on September 1, 2012.
TEAM STATS:
W&L held a 13-3 advantage in shots at the half, which grew to a final margin of 32-7 after outshooting the Knights, 19-4, in the second half. Corner kicks also favored the home side by an 8-5 count, with a 10-3 W&L lead in shots on goal.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will return to action on Saturday when they travel to King University in Bristol, Tenn., to face-off against Berry (Ga.) in a neutral-site matchup. The game is slated to kick off at 1:00 p.m.
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.
