SALEM, Va. – The 11th-ranked Washington and Lee women's lacrosse team secured a key ODAC regular-season victory, defeating No. 18 Roanoke, 13-8, on Wednesday evening at Kerr Stadium.
The Generals (7-3, 5-0 ODAC) used a dominant second-half performance, outscoring the Maroons (4-4, 1-1 ODAC) 7-2 over the final 30 minutes to pull away.
Hannah Van Son led W&L with five goals, while the Generals' defense held Roanoke to just one goal in both the third and fourth quarters.
Game Summary
Washington and Lee set the tone early, with rookie
Lara Baki scoring back-to-back goals at 12:43 and 10:00 in the first quarter. Roanoke responded with a woman-up goal from Tracey Benzing (9:19), but
Caroline Foster netted a late first-quarter goal (2:09) to give W&L a 3-1 lead after one.
The second quarter saw momentum shift as Roanoke went on a 5-3 scoring run, tying the game at 6-6 just before halftime. Sydney Harrison and Benzing each found the back of the net twice during the stretch, while
Katie Reed's player-down goal at 6:31 helped W&L keep pace.
The Generals took control in the second half, holding Roanoke scoreless for nearly 15 minutes while building a lead.
Claire Horner (11:56, third quarter) sparked a 3-0 W&L run, followed by two straight goals from Van Son to make it 9-6.
Roanoke cut the deficit to 10-8 early in the fourth quarter, but W&L responded with a 3-0 closing run, highlighted by Reed's second goal (9:01) and another Van Son tally (2:23).
Kelly Polacek sealed the win with a free-position goal with 13 seconds left on the clock to give the Generals a five-goal victory.
By The Numbers
- Shots: Washington and Lee outshot Roanoke 28-23, including an 8-5 edge in the final quarter.
- Saves: Iman Haddad made 10 saves for the Blue and White and Roanoke's Kendall Todd stopped nine shots.
- Draw Controls: The teams evenly split 24 draw controls.
- Ground Balls: Roanoke picked up 16 ground balls, a slight edge over the Generals' 15.
- Clears: W&L converted 22-for-26, while the Maroons finished 18-for-19.
W&L Leaders
- Hannah Van Son led all scorers with five goals, including three in the second half.
- Lara Baki recorded a hat trick and added an assist.
- Katie Reed scored twice, including a crucial fourth-quarter goal.
- Emma Marsh dished out an assist and secured a team-high five draw controls. The midfielder added three ground balls and a caused turnover.
- The defense shined all night with senior co-captain Libby Ford forcing four turnovers and three ground balls. Sophia Caffrey added a CT and two ground balls on the back line.
Roanoke Leaders
- Tracey Benzing led the Maroons with three goals.
- Sydney Harrison added a pair of goals and won two draw controls.
- Zoe Blair recorded a goal, an assist, and three caused turnovers.
- Addison Widmer led Roanoke with two assists.
- Grace Koutouzis tallied a goal and won one draw control.
Up Next
Washington and Lee returns home for a top-15 showdown against No. 2 Tufts on Friday night at 6 p.m. at Alston Parker Watt Field in Lexington for a non-conference matchup.
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.
