ATLANTA – The 11th-ranked Washington and Lee men's soccer team exited the pitch on Saturday evening with a scoreless draw against Emory to close their season-opening action.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Generals (0-1-1) claimed the early chances with three shots in the first 15 minutes of play. The third attempt was on a penalty kick taken by senior
Grant McCarty following a foul in the box from Emory (0-0-2) keeper Peter Wagner. However, McCarty's shot was saved, and the Emory defense managed to clear the ball from danger.
The Eagles found a rhythm for the rest of the first half, taking six shots while limiting W&L to one. W&L sophomore goalkeeper
Will Joseph saved the first two attempts in the 19th and 21st minutes, while another was blocked and three missed the target.
W&L did not allow another shot attempt until the 65th minute, after taking four shots but seeing two saved to start the second half. In the 65th minute and on perhaps the closest chance of the game for either side, Cobi Promislow stepped up for a free kick but saw the chance hit off the crossbar, followed by another Joseph save on a rebound shot attempt to end the possession.
With both defenses holding strong, the Generals and Eagles managed just one shot each over the final 13 and a half minutes of play. McCarty had another chance saved in the 81st minute by Wagner, and Ryan Hayes sent the final shot attempt of the game high and wide with 90 seconds to play.
TOP PERFORMERS:
The two goalkeepers performed strongly across all 90 minutes, making five saves each, two in the first half and three in the second. Joseph's clean sheet marked the seventh of his career after recording six in 2022.
McCarty ended the day with a game-high four shot attempts, and he put two on target. Junior
Weyimi Agbeyegbe came in next with three shots and one chance on goal. Promislow led the Emory attack with three shots and one on goal, but he was the only Eagle with multiple shot attempts. Eight other players took one shot each to yield the team's 11 total shots.
TEAM STATS:
With their 11 shots, the Eagles edged the Generals by one attempt, and both teams' totals were about even in both halves. Emory held the slight lead at halftime at 6-4, while W&L outshot the home side, 6-5, in the second half. The Blue and White managed eight corner kicks to four for the Eagles, with a 7-3 count in the second half.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:
At the conclusion of the Sonny Carter Invitational, McCarty, juniors
Will Luik and
Asa Tuke, and sophomore
Willy Hall were all named to the All-Tournament Team.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will remain on the road for their next contest but will face off against Stockton at a neutral site. The game will kick off at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday from the Maryland Soccerplex in Boyds, Md.
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.
