LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A second-half, set-piece goal from Connecticut College proved to be all the scoring necessary on Thursday night, as the Washington and Lee men's soccer team fell to the Camels, 1-0, in the NCAA Semifinals.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Camels (14-2-7) earned a free kick in the 60th minute on the right side following a foul to disrupt an attacking opportunity. Alessandro Horvath Diano took the kick for Connecticut and bent it perfectly into the top-left corner of the goal to put his side ahead. The Camels tried for a second score shortly thereafter, but a shot from Marco Perugini missed high.
The game did not see another shot on goal until the 85th minute, when W&L's (15-4-6)
PJ Ryan found space from inside the box for a shot, but CC's Peter Silvester was there for the stop. The final shot on goal in the game was claimed to by W&L's
Spencer Furman in the 88th minute, but he was unable to get the try past Silvester.
The Generals dominated possession and the offensive chances in the first half, with a 5-2 total shot advantage by halftime. Their closest opportunity, not just in the first half but for the game, came when Ryan attempted to scissor-kick a shot from near the penalty spot. Ryan put all his power behind it, but Silvester got enough of a piece of the ball to deflect it up off the crossbar and back into the field of play before it was cleared.
W&L first-year
Justin Ceccanecchio took the next two shots for the Generals in the 30th and 36th minutes, but his first try missed high and his second was saved. Sophomore
Aaron Cordova then had a chance in the 43rd minute on the right side, but his shot was also stopped at the near post.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Ryan took a team-high three shots and put two on goal, while Furman finished the night with two shots on goal. Cordova, Ceccanecchio and junior
Buster Couhig also put one shot on target each to round out the seven total shots on goal. Junior
Will Joseph played all 90 minutes in the W&L goal and made two saves.
Horvath Diano scored on his only shot of the game, as he played 63 minutes off the bench. Silvester covered all 90 minutes in the Connecticut goal and made seven saves to earn the clean sheet.
TEAM STATS:
The Generals ended the game with a 12-7 advantage in total shots after a 7-5 positive margin in the second half. The Blue and White also took nine corner kicks and conceded three.
END-OF-SEASON NOTES:
The Generals conclude their 2024 season with a 15-4-6 overall record, with Thursday's result ending their program-record 20-game unbeaten streak. The eight-player senior class rounds out their careers as one of the most successful to don the Blue and White, as the led the program to three Final Fours over the last four seasons, won two ODAC titles and a 64-13-18 overall record.
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.
