ASHLAND, Va. – The Washington and Lee women's soccer team improved its unbeaten start to the season to eight games with a 1-0 win at Randolph-Macon on Saturday.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The lone goal in the contest came in the 31st minute on a Generals' (6-0-2, 2-0-1 ODAC) corner kick. The cross was taken by sophomore
Bryn Bissinger, which found a cutting
Sarah Zimmerman in the box. Zimmerman played the cross one touch inward and to her left, where senior
Mady Laudisi curled a shot around the keeper and inside the right post for the score.
The Yellow Jackets (4-5-1, 1-2-0 ODAC) and Generals combined for 40 shots in the game, split by a 23-17 count in favor of the road team, and both offenses were relentless in both halves. In the second half, W&L nearly found another two goals. Five total shots in a five-minute span (52nd-57th minutes) featured attempts by senior
Cameron Grainger and Zimmerman that hit off the crossbar.
W&L's defensive unit clamped down on the RMC attack when it mattered most, however, as the team allowed just two shots over the final 20 minutes of play, both of which missed the target.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Laudisi's 31st-minute score proved to be the game-winner, and it was her second career goal. Her other goal, which came last season, was also a game-winner. Zimmerman and Bissinger received an assist each on the goal, their team-leading third helpers of the campaign. Sophomore
Helen Otteni kept RMC keeper Zoe Long busy, with a team-high six shots and four on goal.
W&L senior goalkeeper
Sydney Smith stopped seven shots on the day to record the shutout. It marks her fourth clean sheet of the season and the 13th of her career. Her seven saves were a season high and just one off her career best of eight.
RMC's Riley Russ accounted for nearly half of the team's shot attempts, as she took eight of the team's 17, while putting three on goal. Caley Shriner added four shots and one on target. Despite the loss in goal, Long ended the day with 10 saves.
NOTEWORTHY POINTS:
With an eight-game unbeaten streak to start this season, the Generals are now without a loss in 33 consecutive regular season games (25-0-8). Their last loss in the regular season came almost exactly two years ago, a 2-1 overtime loss against Lynchburg (Oct. 1, 2021).
TEAM STATS:
Both sides split 18 total shots evenly in the first half before the Generals held a 14-8 second-half edge to make up the final 23-17 shot margin. The Generals and Yellow Jackets both earned one corner kick in the first half, followed by a 6-2 advantage for W&L in the second half.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will have a quick and tough turnaround, as their next game comes on Sunday at home at 2:00 p.m. against No. 2-ranked Christopher Newport.
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.
