HARRISONBURG, Va. – The ninth-ranked Washington and Lee women's lacrosse team continued its dominant start to conference play on Saturday afternoon, defeating Eastern Mennonite, 24-1, at EMU Turf Field.
The Generals (3-1, 2-0 ODAC) erupted for 11 first-quarter goals and never looked back, bringing a balanced offensive attack. Fifteen different players scored for W&L, while the defense limited the Royals (0-5, 0-2 ODAC) to just two shots across 60 minutes.
Game Summary
Washington and Lee established control immediately, scoring five times in the opening five minutes. Hannah Van Son netted the game's first goal at 14:26, and Kelly Polacek followed with two early strikes as the Generals quickly built momentum.
W&L closed the first quarter with 11 goals, including tallies from Sophie Edwards, Maris Smutz, Carleigh Taylor, Marina Streich and Nora Hamilton, to take an 11-0 lead after one.
The Generals added four more goals in the second quarter. Sophie Yockel, Anne Burns Fiveash and Ava Tintle each found the net before Eastern Mennonite broke through with its lone goal at 2:07. Alexandra Simon answered just 35 seconds later with a player-up goal to send W&L into halftime with a 15-1 advantage.
Washington and Lee maintained control in the second half, scoring three times in the third quarter and six more in the fourth. Goals from Payton Haley, Van Son and Polacek extended the lead in the third, while Jillian Gangaram, Simon, Taylor, Betty Boatwright, Sutton Sherrill and Hamilton capped the scoring in the final frame.
Defensively, the Generals held EMU without a shot in the first and third quarters and allowed only two total attempts in the contest.
Individual Performances
By The Numbers
- Washington and Lee outshot Eastern Mennonite, 41-2, including a 33-2 advantage in shots on goal.
- The Generals dominated the draw circle, winning 22 draw controls to EMU's four.
- W&L collected 17 ground balls, compared to seven for the Royals.
- Washington and Lee committed just six turnovers, while forcing 19 by Eastern Mennonite.
- The Generals were perfect on clears at 9-for-9, while EMU finished 5-for-17.
- W&L converted both free-position opportunities (2-for-2), while Eastern Mennonite did not attempt a free-position shot.
- The Royals' goalkeeper Alyssa Hunter recorded 11 saves.
Up Next: Washington and Lee continues the road trip on Sunday to No. 8 Salisbury for a 1 p.m. first draw.
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.
