LEXINGTON, Va. – The Washington and Lee men's soccer team got a goal in both halves to win their third game in a row, topping Eastern Mennonite, 2-0, on Saturday in their first ODAC game of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- W&L (3-2-3, 1-0-0 ODAC) senior goalkeeper Will Joseph was tested early, but was up to the task. EMU's () Elijah Byrd took a shot from the right side of the 18 in the fifth minute, attempting to curl it into the far top corner of the frame. Joseph went full extension to his right and punched it away for the highlight save.
- The Generals took a one-goal lead in the 21st minute when senior Willy Hall curled a corner kick into the box and found the head of first-year Isaac Arrowood on the back post.
- The W&L defense played a strong second half to keep the Royals scoreless. They limited EMU to just three shot attempts and none on goal.
- Junior Taha Kaba added the second goal for the Blue and White in the 73rd minute, as he headed in a corner cross taken by sophomore Ricardo Sanchez.
TOP PERFORMERS:
- Arrowood's and Kaba's goals were their first scores of the season. Hall and Sanchez picked up an assist each from their corner kicks, their second assists of the year.
- Hall led all players with four shot attempts in the game, followed by three each from senior Buster Couhig and Sanchez.
- Joseph collected his third clean sheet of the season behind four saves. EMU goalkeeper Andrew Arledge also played all 90 minutes and made four saves.
- Iverson Garcia finished the day as the Royals' leader in shot attempts (3).
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Joseph extended his program record for career shutouts to 26 with Saturday's blanking of the Royals. It was also his third straight shutout, and he has not allowed a goal in the last 278:21.
- The Generals are now unbeaten in their last 11 games played on Watt Field, going 8-0-3 in that time.
TEAM STATS:
- The Generals held a final shot advantage of 17-8 and 6-4 in shots on goal. W&L took nine shots in the second half to three, while holding an 8-5 edge at the half.
- Eastern Mennonite took six of the 11 corner kicks in the game.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will wrap up their four-game homestand on Wednesday when they host Hampden-Sydney at 7:00 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.
