LEXINGTON, Va. – Junior
Ricardo Sanchez provided the first-half fireworks with a spectacular goal, but the No. 18 Washington and Lee men's soccer team tied Bridgewater, 1-1, on the home pitch on Wednesday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- With the game still scoreless in the 18th minute, Sanchez picked up a loose ball and made a long, solo run from the left side towards the center of the pitch. From the top of the 18, Sanchez fired a shot that was placed well into the top-right corner for the 1-0 lead.
- In the second half, the Generals (9-2-3, 3-1-3 ODAC) continued to threaten the Bridgewater (9-3-3, 4-0-3 ODAC) goal for more scores, but Zane Kowalski made several saves to keep his side down just one goal, including a pair of leaping saves just under the crossbar.
- In the 63rd minute, Leyden Mongold quickly put the ball back in play following a W&L foul. He sent a pass deep into the W&L goal box where Riley Queen scored inside the left post to tie the game.
- Junior Miles Furman made a pair of saves within 36 seconds of each other in the 81st minute to prevent the Eagles from moving ahead, while Kowalski made yet another tough save in the 82nd minute to deny sophomore Sami Seife in the top-left corner of the frame. The Generals got the final two shots of the game in the 85th minute, but both were blocked by the Bridgewater defense.
TOP PERFORMERS:
- Sanchez's goal was his third of the season, the third most on the team, as he led the W&L offense with four shots. Seife and seniors Jack Travis and Anthony Careccia followed with three shot attempts each.
- Queen and Kevin Polanco took five shots apiece to pace the Eagles' offense, with Queen netting his 10th goal of the season.
- Furman finished the game with five saves for the Generals, while Kowalski made six saves in the BC goal.
ODAC OUTLOOK:
- With just two games left in the regular season, the Top 8 teams in the ODAC men's soccer table are separated by just six points. The Generals currently sit fifth with 12 points, one point behind Randolph-Macon for fourth, two behind Shenandoah for third and three back of Lynchburg and Bridgewater at the top.
TEAM STATS:
- The Eagles held an 8-7 edge at halftime in shot attempts, but the Generals went on to outshoot the visitors 11-6 in the second half for a final 18-14 advantage.
- The Generals took five corner kicks in both halves and conceded six total to the Eagles.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to Guilford at 4:30 p.m. for their final road game of the regular season.
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.
