Box Score BOYDS, Md. – The 11th-ranked Washington and Lee men's soccer team was unable to find the back of the net, as the Generals left the Maryland Soccerplex with a scoreless draw against Stockton on Tuesday.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
After both teams struggled to find openings for shots across the first 23 minutes of play (three attempts combined), the Ospreys (1-0-1) let four shots loose over the next 14 minutes, with W&L keeper
Will Joseph making a save in the 34th minute. The Generals (0-1-2), however, claimed the final two chances of the opening half, as first-year
Aaron Cordova forced Stockton goalkeeper Brady Bartletta to the ground to make a save in the 40th minute.
Both sides stepped up the aggression in the second half, especially early on, as the Ospreys tallied two of the half's first three attempts in the opening 2:11. After that, the Generals began to find holes in the Stockton defense and started firing on net. From 57:17 to 67:37, W&L not only held the opponents to no shots, but took seven shots of their own. Senior
Grant McCarty found the target on an attempt in the 65th minute, but Bartletta was again there for the stop.
Junior
Lucas Pleasants tallied what ended as the Generals' final shot in the 70th minute, trying to find space in the low, left corner of the frame, but Bartletta made the save.
The Ospreys controlled four of the final five shots in the game over the final 21 minutes, but none were on goal. Joseph's final save of the game came on Stockton's first shot of the second half in the 46th minute.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Joseph recorded three saves on the day to notch his second clean sheet of the season and the eighth of his career. Bartletta finished the day with five saves to receive a shutout as well.
On offense, McCarty led all players with four shots, and he put two attempts on goal, while Pleasants was the only other W&L player to attempt multiple shots. One of Pleasants' two shots went on goal. For the Ospreys, Joseph Carbone led the team with both three shots and two on goal, while Aiden Hoenisch and JP Candela attempted twice.
NOTES OF IMPORTANCE:
Joseph becomes the first goalkeeper since Michael Nyc '22 in 2019 to record two shutouts within the team's first three games of a season. Nyc made three saves in both of those shutout efforts, while Joseph has eight in his two clean sheets this season. Joseph has played all 270 minutes so far this season, allowing one goal (0.33 GAA) and making 15 saves.
TEAM STATS:
After being outshot 6-5 in the first half, the Generals held the second-half advantage at 9-6 to finish with a slight 13-11 edge in total shots. The Blue and White also doubled Stockton up in corner kicks in both halves, with a 6-3 margin in the second half for a final mark of 8-4.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will look to bounce back on Friday when they play in their home opener at 7:00 p.m. against Sewanee.
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.
