WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 10th-ranked Washington and Lee women's lacrosse team pulled off a thrilling comeback, defeating Catholic University of America, 10-9, in overtime on Saturday afternoon at Carlini Field.
The Generals (6-4) trailed by four goals early but mounted a dramatic second-half rally, tying the game with just one second remaining in regulation before
Hannah Van Son netted the game-winner in overtime. The win snaps a two-game skid for W&L and hands Catholic (1-5) its fifth loss of the season.
Game Summary
Catholic opened the game on fire, scoring four unanswered goals in the first quarter, with Henley Bredemann and Madeline McDevitt leading the charge. W&L was held scoreless in the first period but found momentum in the second, as
Kelly Polacek (10:56) and
Betty Boatwright (8:51) sparked the offense. The Generals still trailed 6-4 at halftime despite a late free-position goal from
Sophie Edwards (3:32, second quarter).
Catholic stretched its lead to 8-4 early in the third before W&L began its comeback. The Generals scored four of the next five goals, with
Claire Horner (7:02) and Van Son (6:20) cutting the deficit to 8-6. Boatwright and Edwards connected for key fourth-quarter scores, tying the game at 8-8 with 8:25 remaining.
After Catholic regained the lead (3:55, fourth quarter), W&L made one final push. With just one second left in regulation, Edwards delivered the game-tying goal, forcing overtime.
In the extra period, the Generals controlled possession, and Van Son sealed the victory with an unassisted goal at 1:19, completing the dramatic comeback.
By The Numbers
- Shots: W&L outshot Catholic 24-20, including a 14-15 margin in shots on goal.
- Saves: Iman Haddad made six saves, including a key stop in overtime, while Catholic's Alexandra Ragano finished with four saves in the loss.
- Draw Controls: Catholic held a slight 12-10 edge in draw controls.
- Ground Balls: Both teams finished with 18 ground balls.
- Turnovers: W&L committed 23 turnovers, while Catholic had 20.
- Clears: Both teams were efficient in transition, with W&L going 17-for-20 and Catholic 17-for-19.
W&L Leaders
- Sophie Edwards led the Generals with three goals. including the game-tying goal at the buzzer, and an assist for a team-high four points.
- Hannah Van Son scored twice, including the overtime game-winner.
- Betty Boatwright added two goals, with one coming in the fourth-quarter rally.
- Kelly Polacek tallied a goal, an assist, and led the Blue and White with four draw controls.
- Nine Generals tallied caused turnovers while Sophia Caffery scooped up four ground balls.
Catholic Leaders
- Henley Bredemann scored a game-high four goals to lead the Cardinals.
- Jessie Lee facilitated the offense with a goal, three assists and won a game-best six draw controls.
- Four players had three caused turnovers for CUA
Up Next
Washington and Lee continues its road stretch with a top-15 showdown at No. 12 Roanoke College on Wednesday, March 19, at 6 p.m. in Salem, Va.
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.
