SALEM, Va. – The 13th-ranked Washington and Lee women's soccer team went on the road on Saturday and walked away from Kerr Stadium with a 3-0 win against Roanoke College for its ninth straight win.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
All three W&L (9-1, 5-0 ODAC) goals came in the first half, with the first coming on an own goal by the Roanoke (2-6-3, 2-1-1 ODAC) defense. Junior
Sarah Zimmerman tried a shot in the 15th minute, but it bounced off the crossbar and downward. A clear attempt by the defense came right back to Zimmerman, who headed the ball back towards the center of the box. The ball was then headed into the goal by a defender.
Six minutes later, first-year
Avery Hannah scored the first goal of her collegiate career when she put a cross into the box that made its way past the keeper and into the back of the net. The third score came in the 38th minute when Zimmerman and junior
Helen Otteni teamed up for the score. A
Bryn Bissinger cross on a free kick found the head of Zimmerman, but her header bounced off the right post and to the left. Following the play all the way through, Otteni was there for the rebound, and she tapped the ball into the goal for the 3-0 lead.
For a seventh time this season, the W&L backline held the opposition to zero goals. The Maroons were limited to just one shot attempt in the first half, which was not on target, followed by three shots in the second half and only one on goal. The lone shot on goal for the hosts came in the 74th minute, but W&L first-year keeper
Kate McEnroe was there for the save.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Hannah's goal was her first of the season, while Otteni's score was her second of the campaign. It was also Otteni's second straight game with a goal. Picking up one assist each in the game was senior
Ann Riley Huber, who passed back to Hannah on her goal, and Zimmerman, whose header off the post set up Otteni's goal.
Junior
Abby Groff played the first half in goal, but she was not required to make a save thanks to her defensive unit. McEnroe played the second half and finished with her one stop.
NOTEWORTHY POINTS:
The Generals' shutout on Saturday marked their seventh of the season, which is the first time since the 2021 spring season that the team has seven clean sheets within the first 10 games of a campaign. The Generals also ranked tied for 23rd in Division III in shutout percentage (.667) entering the day, which improved to an even 70 percent.
TEAM STATS:
The Generals outshot the Maroons by a final total of 23-4, including a wide 16-1 margin in the first half. The Blue and White also took seven corner kicks on the day and conceded one.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will return home for their next game as they host Bridgewater on Wednesday night at 6:00 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.
