NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The ninth-ranked Washington and Lee women's lacrosse team capped its regular season in dramatic fashion, rallying for a 12-11 victory over Christopher Newport University on Saturday afternoon at Jennings Stadium.
The Generals (14-4) trailed by two goals midway through the fourth quarter but used a 4-1 closing run to stun the Captains (7-10), completing a come-from-behind win and building momentum heading into postseason play.
Game Summary
The Generals, on the back of
Grace Kim's back-to-back scores, and Captains battled evenly early, ending the first quarter tied 2-2. CNU controlled the second quarter, outscoring W&L 5-2 to take a 7-4 halftime lead. After falling behind 9-5 midway through the third quarter, W&L began to chip away, using goals from
Hannah Van Son, Kim, and
Lara Baki to pull within one heading into the final stanza
After CNU extended its lead to 11-9 early in the fourth quarter, the Generals responded when it mattered most.
Claire Horner sparked the comeback with a player-down goal at the 6:03 mark, and
Hannah Van Son tied the game at 2:46, finishing a feed from
Emma Marsh. Following a critical defensive stand, W&L advanced the ball downfield and called a timeout with 46 seconds remaining. Out of the break, the Generals maintained possession, and on a final drive, Van Son drew a shooting space violation. She capitalized, burying a free-position goal with just 11 seconds left to give W&L its first lead of the afternoon. CNU won the ensuing draw control, but the Generals' defense absorbed the pressure and forced an off-target, last-second shot, securing the dramatic victory.
Individual Performance
- Hannah Van Son scored four goals, including the tying and game-winning goals in the fourth quarter, and added one assist.
- Grace Kim and Lara Baki each netted a hat trick, helping power the Generals' second-half comeback.
- Claire Horner contributed two goals, including a crucial man-down score to spark the fourth-quarter run.
- Emma Marsh and Sophie Edwards each dished out two assists, setting up key offensive chances.
- Iman Haddad made 11 saves in goal, including a crucial stop at the buzzer to secure the victory.
By The Numbers
- Christopher Newport outshot Washington and Lee 33-21, but W&L was more efficient, placing 15 shots on goal to CNU's 22.
- W&L won 7 draw controls, while the Captains controlled 20 to dominate the circle.
- The Generals collected 24 ground balls, while the Captains earned a small edge over W&L with 27 ground balls.
- Both teams struggled with maintaining control of the ball with Washington and Lee turning the ball over 23 times and CNU totaling 20 turnovers.
- W&L finished 18-for-26 on clears, compared to 10-for-15 for the Captains, both finishing under 70-percent, out of character for both programs.
- The two teams matched each others' output from the hashes; W&L converted 3-of-9 free-position attempts, while CNU went 2-for-6.
W&L Leaders
- Hannah Van Son paced the Generals with four goals and an assist, including the game-winner.
- Grace Kim and Lara Baki each scored three goals.
- Claire Horner added two goals, including a player-down goal that ignited the fourth-quarter surge.
- Emma Marsh and Sophie Edwards each posted two assists to help drive the offense.
- Iman Haddad anchored the defense with 11 saves, including the game-sealing stop.
- Cat Caples led the team with six ground balls and three caused turnovers followed by Libby ford with four caused turnovers and five groundballs.
CNU Leaders
- Faith O'Connor led the Captains with four goals.
- Drew Stanley finished with three goals and one assist.
- Grace Taylor dished out three assists for CNU.
- Brookelyn Morrison added a goal, an assist, and nine draw controls.
- Goalkeeper Hadley Chadwick made three saves in goal for the Captains.
Up Next
Washington and Lee now awaits the quarterfinal results of the ODAC Tournament, where fourth-seeded Randolph-Macon and fifth-seeded Lynchburg will battle for a spot in the semifinals at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29.
As the top seed, the Generals have earned a double bye and will host the semifinal round at Alston Parker Watt Field, beginning their tournament run with home-field advantage.
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.
