LEXINGTON, Va. – Sophomore
Emily Burke was responsible for the lone goal of the day, as the Washington and Lee women's soccer team topped Franklin & Marshall by a 1-0 final on Saturday afternoon in the home opener.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The W&L (2-1) defense swarmed the F&M (0-2-1) offense throughout the day, but particularly in the first half. In the opening 45 minutes, only Lillian Williams got a shot off (13th minute) for the Diplomats, but it missed the goal. Juniors
Sophie Berman and
Sydney Devory found enough space for one shot each for W&L in the first half, and both were on goal, but F&M keeper Lucy Fleming made both saves.
The game remained scoreless until the 55th minute, when an entry pass into the box found senior
Ann Riley Huber, who dished it back out wide on the right side for Berman. Making a cut to her left, Berman tried a left-footbed cross, but the ball was slightly deflected by a Diplomat defender. With the ball still loose, F&M defender Alex Wilson attempted to clear, but missed the ball which allowed it to find an unmarked Burke at the edge of the six. Burke, with no defender within five yards of her, scored just to the left of Fleming for the lead.
Junior
Abby Groff came up with a huge save 14 minutes later to preserve the Generals' one-goal lead. The Diplomats got the ball into the possession of Julianna Sirico, who made a long run up field. From about five yards outside the 18 on the left side, Sirico tried her luck on goal and put a well-placed effort towards the top-left corner of the goal. Groff was ready, however, and not only made a diving save, but caught the ball to ensure no further immediate threat.
W&L's defensive unit continued to dominate the F&M offense, as it allowed only two shots the rest of the game, both of which were blocked. The defense continuously denied the Diplomats offensive opportunities, which included strong clears over the final couple minutes to melt the clock away and put the game into the win column.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Burke's goal in the 55th minute was her first of the season and the third goal of her career, as she finished the day with two shots and put both on goal. Berman and first-year
Megan Zimmerman also shot twice each and put one attempt on goal. Groff claimed her second consecutive shutout after making three saves in 90 minutes. She and the W&L defensive unit have allowed one goal all season and none over the last 262:42 of action.
Williams paced the F&M offense with three total shots with one on goal, and Fleming made four saves in 90 minutes of action in goal.
TEAM STATS:
W&L edged the Diplomats in total shots by a 9-8 margin, but the visitors held the second-half advantage at 7-5. Corner kicks also favored the Blue and White by a 5-2 count.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will return to the pitch next Saturday, September 14, when they host Berry (Ga.) in a 12:00 p.m. start.
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.
