LEXINGTON, Va. – In another instant classic between two of the ODAC's top women's soccer program's, it was No. 9 Washington and Lee that was crowned conference champions on Saturday following a 1-1 draw and 7-6 output in a shootout against Virginia Wesleyan.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The game shifted to a penalty kick shootout after 110 minutes of play yielded a 1-1 draw. Through six rounds, neither side showed weakness as all 12 shots were converted to head to a seventh round.
- Sophomore Maren Brown then stepped up for the Generals (16-2-2) and missed slightly to the left, but sophomore goalkeeper Kate McEnroe picked Brown up with the first save of the shootout against Stephanie Koblish to keep the game going.
- McEnroe then stepped to the spot and scored to make it a 7-6 W&L lead. Emma Nguyen was next for the Marlins (15-3-3), but she missed her shot high to end the game.
- Courtney Mills was responsible for the Marlins' goal, which came in the 28th minute. She collected a pass and went one-on-one with senior Bryn Bissinger, but Mills was able to fend Bissinger off and put a shot past McEnroe for the 1-0 lead.
- Senior Sarah Zimmerman then equalized in the 50th minute. First-year Mary Parrish Green got a pass to Zimmerman in the box, where Zimmerman shot across her body and into the back of the net.
TOP PERFORMERS:
- Zimmerman's goal set a new single-season career high, as it was her 15th of the season. Green's helper on the play was her eighth of the season, tied for the most on the team.
- Other Generals who made their shots in the penalty shootout in addition to McEnroe included senior Sydney Devory, Bissinger, sophomore Megan Zimmerman, senior Helen Otteni, S. Zimmerman, sophomore Elizabeth Zimmerman.
- Mills' goal for the Marlins was her fourth of the season. She took two shots and put both on goal, while Alaina Alston also put two attempts on goal.
- Allie Greco made nine saves on 10 shots in 110 minutes for the Marlins. McEnroe finished the day with four saves, plus her one stop in the shootout.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- This marks the sixth ODAC Tournament championship in W&L women's soccer history. It is their second straight after defeating the Marlins, 1-0, last season, and it is the second time in program history the Generals have won back-to-back titles (2002-03).
- Zimmerman's goal pushed her over 100 career points, making her the fifth player in program history to reach the triple-digit threshold. She is the first to cross the 100-point plateau since Anne Van Devender '09 got there in 2007.
- Saturday's game marked the seventh straight ODAC title game, and 11th in the last 12 years, to be decided by a goal or less.
TEAM STATS:
- The Generals finished the game with a 32-10 advantage in total shot attempts. They held the Marlins to just one shot after regulation.
- The Blue and White owned the day on corner kicks, taking 15 and conceding just one.
UP NEXT:
The Generals earned the ODAC's automatic bid into the 2025 NCAA Division III Championship tournament with Saturday's win. They will learn their national tournament fate during the selection show on Monday at 11:00 a.m. at ncaa.com.
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.
