LEXINGTON, Va. – The second-ranked and top-seeded Washington and Lee women's soccer team's offense came alive in the second half as the team scored each of its three goals in the final 37 minutes for a 3-0 win over eighth-seeded Randolph in Saturday's quarterfinal round of the ODAC Championship.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Junior Maren Brown helped the Generals (14-1-2) finally break through on the scoreboard when she scored from the top of the 18 following a centering pass from first-year Sydney Valentine. Brown's goal came in the 54th minute.
- Senior Emily Burke doubled the W&L lead in the 73rd minute. Junior Aubrey Dunbar turned a defender around before making a run into the box on the left side, where she fed Burke in the middle. Burke hit the ball with her left foot and slotted it inside the right post.
- Just over two minutes later, the Generals put the game away when first-year Alex Van Arsdale crossed in a corner kick where junior Megan Zimmerman volleyed the ball into the top-left corner of the goal.
- The WildCats (8-6-3) held their ground in the first half keeping the Generals off the board. Despite W&L taking 23 shots, keeper Kacie Walker made 13 saves to keep her side in it. They also benefitted from the good fortune of a pair of W&L shots hitting the crossbar in the 10th minute.
TOP PERFORMERS:
- Brown's opening goal was her sixth of the year, but fourth in the last five games. Burke tied Zimmerman for the team lead with her 11th goal of the year, before Zimmerman regained the lead with her 12th score.
- Dunbar and Valentine both logged their third assists of the year, while Van Arsdale secured her fourth assist of the season, tied with junior Avery Hannah for third-most on the team.
- Burke led the Generals with eight shot attempts and six on goal. First-year Cara Dugan followed with five attempts, with five other players each taking four shots.
- Junior Kate McEnroe and senior Calla Andrews combined for the Generals' 11th shutout of the season. McEnroe made two saves across the first 83:14 before Andrews covered the final 6:46.
- Walker played all 90 minutes in the Randolph goal and totaled 14 saves.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- The Generals defeated the WildCats for the second time this season on Saturday, coupling the day's 3-0 win with a 6-0 victory on September 26.
- With a goal each, Zimmerman and Burke are the first set of teammates to each have at least 11 goals in the same season since Katherine Rush '15 and Holley Beasley '15 both finished the 2011 campaign with 12.
- W&L has reached 14 wins for the third straight season. It is the first such streak since the program won at least 14 games across the 2012-14 seasons.
TEAM STATS:
- After their 23 shots in the first half, W&L took an additional 16 shots in the second half to end the day with a 39-3 advantage in total attempts. The Generals put 18 shots on goal, while the WildCats put two of their three shots on goal.
- W&L took 13 corners on the day, six in the first half and seven in the second half. Randolph did not claim any corner kicks.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will host fourth-seeded Bridgewater on Wednesday in the semifinal round of the ODAC Championship, a rematch of the teams' regular season finale that favored the Eagles, 1-0. A start time has not yet been announced.
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.
