BRISTOL, Tenn. – Sophomores
Sarah Zimmerman and
Sophie Berman tallied one second-half goal each to propel the Washington and Lee women's soccer team to a 3-1 win over Berry (Ga.) on Saturday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
With the Generals (4-0-1) leading by a 1-0 score, the Vikings (2-4) started to put some pressure on the W&L defense, after a dormant opening 60 minutes of play, and were awarded a free kick in the 62nd minute following a foul. From well outside the 18-yard box, Nicole Wright put the ball back in play, leaving a short touch pass for Kendall Varitek, who picked out the top-right corner of the goal on a laser shot to tie the game.
W&L was quick to respond, however, as just four minutes later, Zimmerman was making a run up the middle of the field where she received a pass from sophomore
Sydney Devory. Zimmerman controlled the ball with her right foot, weaved through the Berry defense and fired with her left foot. Her shot was slotted just under the crossbar and beyond the reach of Vikings' goalkeeper Maggie Jones.
Berman's goal came in the 86th minute and provided a much-needed cushion for the Generals across the final four minutes of the contest. W&L junior
Sam Berish intercepted a pass in the Berry defensive zone and laid the ball off to the left for Berman cutting across the top of the 18. Berman let the ball run before getting a left-footed shot off that, like Zimmerman's, was placed perfectly between the outstretched hand of Jones and the crossbar.
Despite finishing the first half with a wide 20-1 margin in total shots, W&L's first goal came just 30 seconds before halftime on a penalty kick taken by Devory. Devory picked out a spot just inside the left post with plenty of power behind it to find the back of the net.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Berman and Zimmerman each tallied their second goals of the season in the win, while Devory's goal and Berish's assist were firsts for both players. Zimmerman finished the day with a game-high six shots, followed by five from Berish and four each from Berman, Devory, senior
Cameron Grainger and sophomore
Bryn Bissinger.
In goal, senior
Sydney Smith picked up the win with a two-save performance. The W&L defensive unit had another strong showing as well, allowing just three shots on goal with an additional two Berry shots blocked.
For the Vikings, Varitek's goal came on one of her two shots on the day, while Knight received credit for an assist on the play. Christina Marijanich led the team with three shots. Jones was busy between the posts across all 90 minutes, as she notched 12 saves.
NOTES OF IMPORTANCE:
With the win, the Generals improve to 3-0 all-time against Berry. All three games have been played away from Lexington (two at a neutral site), and both of the previous two wins came by 2-1 scores.
With a 4-0-1 record through five games this season, the Generals have their fifth straight and 13th season overall in program history (since 1987) with an undefeated start across the first five games.
TEAM STATS:
W&L finished the day with a 32-7 advantage in total shots (second straight game with those exact totals), which included a 20-1 count in the first half. The Blue and White also controlled the corner kick battle by a final margin of 8-2.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will return to action next Saturday when they play in their first ODAC game of the season, a 1:00 p.m. start at Bridgewater.
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.
