WINCHESTER, Va. – The ninth-ranked Washington and Lee women's lacrosse team survived a second-quarter surge from Shenandoah to pick up a gritty 13-11 win in ODAC play on Saturday afternoon at Aikens Stadium.
The Generals (11-4, 8-0 ODAC) fell behind by as many as three goals midway through the second quarter but used a 6-2 third-quarter advantage and a composed fourth-quarter finish to hold off the Hornets (8-4, 4-1 ODAC).
Sophie Edwards and
Lara Baki each posted four points, while the W&L defense recorded seven caused turnovers and 18 ground balls.
Game Summary
After a 2-1 opening quarter in Shenandoah's favor, the Hornets scored four of the first five goals in the second to build a 6-2 lead with 4:54 remaining. But the Generals responded with three goals in the final 95 seconds of the half, including a player-up goal by
Katie Reed (0:34) and a buzzer-beater from
Betty Boatwright (0:09) to make it 6-5 at halftime.
That momentum carried into the second half, where W&L opened the third with four of the next five goals, highlighted by
Brianna Benoit's free-position goal and back-to-back tallies from
Sophie Edwards and
Katie Reed. Baki's second goal at 1:42 stretched the lead to 10-7 before Shenandoah answered to cut it to 10-8.
Grace Kim beat the third-quarter horn with another buzzer-beater goal to re-establish a three-goal lead.
The teams traded goals early in the fourth, but Edwards and Baki struck again just 21 seconds apart to make it 13-9 with 10:32 remaining. Shenandoah added two more, but goalkeeper
Iman Haddad and the W&L defense made key stops in the final two minutes to close out the win.
By The Numbers
- Washington and Lee outshot Shenandoah 41-22, including a 12-4 edge in the fourth quarter.
- The Generals controlled the draw circle, winning 16-of-26 draw controls.
- W&L converted 3-of-4 free-position shots, while Shenandoah went 1-for-2.
- In transition W&L finished 17-of-19 clearing attempts, Shenandoah 21-of-22.
- The Generals picked up 16 ground balls and caused seven turnovers, while Shenandoah collected 13 ground balls and forced eight turnovers.
- Shenandoah goalkeeper Madison Perry made eight saves, while W&L's Iman Haddad stopped five shots.
W&L Leaders
- Sophie Edwards finished with three goals and one assist, including a fourth-quarter strike to help seal the win.
- Lara Baki notched three goals and one assist, with two second-half scores.
- Katie Reed tallied two goals and one assist, scoring in both halves.
- Emma Marsh dished out two assists and four draw controls.
- Cat Caples led the team with six draw controls.
Shenandoah Leaders
- Emily Ransom scored a team-high three goals, including a man-up goal late in the third.
- Ayla Jantz and Alex Ripkin each added two goals, with Ripkin netting the game's final goal.
- Amy Bell recorded a goal and an assist, while Ainsley Buckner had a goal and a helper as well.
- Sarah Karlinchak and Alyssa Webster each contributed an assist.
- Talia Maria led Shenandoah with six ground balls and two caused turnovers.
Up Next
Washington and Lee continues its league slate at home on Wednesday, April 9, at 5 p.m. against Bridgewater College at Alston Parker Watt Field.
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.
