LEXINGTON, Va. – The No. 15 Washington and Lee women's soccer team fell behind but responded quickly to walk off the home pitch with a 1-1 draw against third-ranked Christopher Newport on Saturday.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Captains (6-0-2) pulled ahead with a one-goal lead in the 12th minute. Molly Seventko found Julia Joyner in space on the left side with a long pass, before Joyner hit a centering pass into the middle of the box. The ball was met by the right foot of a sliding Alex Devers around the six for the score.
- The Generals (4-2-1) didn't flinch and equalized just 79 seconds later. A free kick awarded near midfield was sent into the box by senior Bryn Bissinger. Tracking the ball the whole way, senior Sarah Zimmerman got her head to the ball on the back post and found the back of the net.
- The rest of the first half saw 11 total shots attempts, six from the Generals, but all five shots on goal were stopped by CNU's Amy Sidaway and W&L's Kate McEnroe.
- Despite no goals in the second half, the Generals were the superior side with 11 shot attempts to four for the Captains. Sidaway performed strongly for the visitors, however, with seven second-half saves to keep the game even.
TOP PERFORMERS:
- Zimmerman tallied her team-leading third goal of the season, while Bissinger got her second assist of the year. Zimmerman also led the hosts with four shot attempts, all on goal, with sophomore Elizabeth Zimmerman following at three attempts and two on goal.
- Devers' goal came on one of her two shots on the day, with Joyner and Seventko picking up an assist each on the play. Hanna Heaton had a CNU-high four shots.
- McEnroe and Sidaway both played all 90 minutes on Saturday and combined for 14 saves. Sidaway was forced into nine stops, while McEnroe made five saves.
RECENT PLAY:
- With Saturday's game, the Generals close out the toughest stretch of their schedule having faced three preseason Top-5 teams (Johns Hopkins, Emory, CNU) in their last four fixtures. The Generals held their own and more in those three contests, going 1-1-1 overall.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Bissinger's assist on Saturday was the 19th of her career, breaking a tie with Erica Reineke '98 for ninth most in program history.
- The Generals remain unbeaten all-time against the Captains at 2-0-4. Each of the last three meetings have resulted in draws.
TEAM STATS:
- The Generals outshot the Captains by a final count of 19-10, including 11-6 in attempts on goal.
- W&L also paced their opponents in corner kicks, 7-1.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will now face ODAC competition for the remainder of the regular season, starting with Virginia Wesleyan on the road on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.
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.
