LEXINGTON, Va. – The Washington and Lee women's soccer team continued its strong defensive play on Sunday afternoon, earning its fourth consecutive shutout in a 2-0 win over York (Pa.).
HOW IT HAPPENED:
After just over 17 minutes of scoreless play, the Generals (4-1) took a throw-in on the left side in the offensive third. First-year
Megan Zimmerman received the throw, turned towards goal and took a couple touches before blasting a shot from 25 yards out and into the back of the net. The Generals took four shots the rest of the half, with the defense only allowing one on-target shot before halftime.
It did not take long into the second half for the Generals to double their lead, as sophomore
Emily Burke scored in the 50th minute to cushion the advantage. Zimmerman received a pass at midfield and sent a pass up the left side to sophomore
Shay Bowman. After two touches, Bowman centered a pass to junior
Sophie Berman who chipped a pass into the box for Burke, who scored just under the crossbar and out of reach of the York (3-1-2) keeper.
W&L keeper
Abby Groff was required to make two second-half saves, but her backline did well to not only limit the Spartans' opportunities, but force them into difficult shots that did not challenge Groff's abilities. The Generals' offense kept the offensive pressure on for the remainder of the game as well, peppering six shots goalward after taking their 2-0 lead.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Burke and Zimmerman scored once each on two shots and one attempt on target, with Berman picking up an assist in the game. The goals were Burke's and Zimmerman's second this year, while Berman collected her team-leading third assist of the season and second this weekend. Groff tallied three total saves to notch her third shutout of the season.
YCP's Abby Brown and Alyssa Russell were the top shot-takers for the Green and White with two each. Joss Metz made two saves in goal across the 90 minutes of action.
NOTEWORTHY POINTS:
W&L's shutout on Sunday was its fourth straight clean sheet. The team has allowed just one goal this season and none over the last 443:62. It is the first time that the Generals have posted four consecutive shutouts since October 8-15 of 2022. Conversely, Zimmerman's wonder goal in the first half snapped a 433:40 consecutive shutout minutes streak carried by the Spartans' defense.
TEAM STATS:
W&L outshot the Spartans in both halves, 7-4 in the first and 8-5 in the second, to hold a 15-9 positive margin on the day. The Blue and White also earned five corner kicks and only conceded one.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will have 12 days off from gameplay before returning to action on Saturday, September 28, at Shenandoah at 2:00 p.m. in their first ODAC test of the season.
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.
