GENEVA, N.Y. – The Washington and Lee women's soccer team fell by a 1-0 score to No. 24 The College of New Jersey on Friday afternoon in its first of two games at the William Smith Stand on Their Shoulders Invitational.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The lone score in the game came in the eighth minute when TCNJ's Ava Curtis scored on a free kick.
W&L looked for a quick answer, as first-year
Megan Zimmerman and senior
Ann Riley Huber each put a shot on goal over the next 11 minutes, but TCNJ keeper Ellen Williams was there for the stop on both occasions. W&L junior goalkeeper
Abby Groff matched Williams with two saves of her own in a 35-second span in the 29th minute, while the Generals' offense took control of the remainder of the first half with five attempts over the final 11 minutes of the half. Four of those attempts were on target, but Williams managed to stop all four.
The Generals held a 7-5 edge in total shots in both halves, and the defense held the Lions to no shots on goal in the second half, allowing the team to stay close. On the offensive end, junior
Sophie Berman and sophomore
Stephanie Zawtocki combined for three on-target attempts for the Blue and White in the second half, but Williams saved each attempt to keep W&L off the board.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Groff finished the game with three saves and played all 90 minutes, while Williams finished with a nine-save shutout. The Generals' defense, as a whole, did not allow a shot on goal over the final 61:23.
Offensively, Berman led the W&L offense with three shots, with all three on goal. Megan and
Sarah Zimmerman combined for four total attempts and three on goal, while sophomore
Emily Burke took three shots.
For the Lions, Ava Curtis's eighth-minute goal came on her only shot attempt of the day. Greta Bush came off the bench for TCNJ and was the only Lion to register multiple shot attempts (2).
TEAM STATS:
W&L held the shot advantage in the game at 14-10 and had a 9-4 positive margin in shots on goal. TCNJ earned five of the nine corner kicks given on the day, taking two in the first half and three in the second.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will be back in action tomorrow against Invitational hosts William Smith at 12:00 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.
