GENEVA, N.Y. – A goal in each half sent the Washington and Lee women's soccer team to a 2-0 win over 20th-ranked William Smith to close out the Herons' Stand on Their Shoulders Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Herons' (1-1) defense afforded the W&L (1-1) offense few chances in the first half, but the Blue and White made the most of their first opportunity in the seventh minute when first-year
Megan Zimmerman found senior
Ann Riley Huber for the game's opening goal. W&L was unable to put another shot on goal in the first half, with junior goalkeeper
Abby Groff coming up with two saves (4', 16') to keep her side in front.
William Smith claimed three of the first four total shots in the second half, looking for the equalizer, but two of their attempts missed the target and another was stopped by Groff. In the 64th minute, the Herons turned the ball over at midfield, and it was knocked up field by the Generals' midfield to junior
Sophie Berman.
Berman controlled the ball and made a run into the box, before sending it over to Zimmerman cutting into the box on the left side. Zimmerman then slotted the ball past the keeper and into the bottom-right corner of the goal to double the W&L lead.
The Herons managed to hold the Generals without a shot for the remainder of the game, but the W&L defense contained any potential threats from the hosts' attack. William Smith got three shots off over the final 27 minutes, but Groff made yet another stop in the 74th minute, while the final two shots were off target.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Zimmerman's insurance goal in the second half was the first of her collegiate career, while Huber's go-ahead goal early in the contest marked the fifth of her career. Brown and Berman both received an assist on the day, while junior
Sarah Zimmerman took two shots. Marjorie Plants and Grace Metzler paced the Herons' offense with two shots each and three combined attempts on goal.
Groff finished the day with four saves to post the first clean sheet of her career. Kirsten Nelson played all 90 minutes in goal for William Smith, but she was unable to stop either of the shots on goal that she faced.
TEAM STATS:
William Smith held a 9-6 edge in total shots for the game after leading the second half by a 6-2 count. The Herons also held a 4-1 margin in corner kicks taken.
UP NEXT:
The Generals host their home opener next Saturday, September 7, with a 1:00 p.m. start against Franklin & Marshall to kick-off the first of three straight home games.
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.
