LYNCHBURG, Va. – The 20th-ranked Washington and Lee women's soccer team edged out Lynchburg, 3-2, on Wednesday night in a thrilling finish to a nonconference meeting.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
With the Generals (6-1) leading by a 1-0 score entering the second half, sophomore
Emily Burke scored less than three minutes into the new half following a pair of quick passes from juniors
Sophie Berman and
Sarah Zimmerman. W&L's lead then grew to three when junior
Sydney Devory found Zimmerman up field, who headed the ball down to first-year
Megan Zimmerman who one-timed a shot from outside the box and into the back of the net.
The Hornets (4-4-1) got that goal back just under three minutes later when Leilianis Irigoyen passed off to Meghan Lauder to make it a 3-1 game. Lynchburg showed more pressure in the second half than in the first, and that pressure was rewarded in the 88th minute when Lauren Orner cut the Hornets' deficit to just one goal.
Racing for a potential equalizer, the Hornets' attack intensified over the final two minutes, and they nearly tied the game within the final 40 seconds. Irigoyen had a chance with 37 seconds left, but W&L first-year keeper
Kate McEnroe extended for the save. Then, with 19 seconds remaining, Haleigh Casey tried her luck on goal, but her shot hit off the crossbar before being cleared by the W&L defense to close out the game.
Sarah Zimmerman gave W&L its initial 1-0 lead in the 31st minute when the Generals were awarded a corner kick. Junior
Bryn Bissinger hit an inswinging cross, which found Zimmerman near the back post. Zimmerman headed the ball past the keeper and into the goal, despite a defender taking a swing at the ball in an attempt to clear.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Sarah Zimmerman had a hand in all three W&L goals on the night with one score and two assists. Burke and
Megan Zimmerman both tallied their third goals of the season, while Berman notched her team-leading fourth assist of the season. Devory's assist on the
Megan Zimmerman goal was her third helper this year, and Bissinger's corner kick assist was her second.
In goal, McEnroe and junior
Abby Groff combined for the win. Groff started and made two saves across the first 82:32 of action, before McEnroe came on for the final 7:28. Her clutch save in the final minute of the game was her only stop in that time.
Orner and Lauder led the Hornets' offense with one goal each and three combined shots. Sammie Rogstad. Ava Olson and Irigoyen also added one assist in the game, and Meredith Bowers made seven saves in 90 minutes in goal.
NOTEWORTHY POINTS:
Lynchburg's goal at 56:06 snapped a consecutive shutout minutes streak of 579:46 held by the Generals. The W&L defense has allowed only three goals this season.
TEAM STATS:
W&L finished the night with a 13-7 advantage in total shots, including a 5-1 positive margin at halftime. Corner kicks favored the Blue and White, as well, by a 4-2 count.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will return home in their next game, as they host Randolph-Macon on Saturday at 1:00 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.
