LEXINGTON, Va. – The sixth-ranked Washington and Lee women's lacrosse team earned a 10-6 Old Dominion Athletic Conference victory over Shenandoah University on Wednesday evening at Watt Field.
The Generals improved to 13-2 overall and 8-0 in ODAC play, while the Hornets dropped to 9-6 overall and 4-2 in conference action.
Game Summary
W&L and SU traded momentum throughout a tightly contested first half. The Generals struck first at 11:43 as Lara Baki scored unassisted, but Shenandoah answered less than a minute later on a player-up goal from Emily Ransom to tie the game.
W&L responded with a quick 2-0 run, as Katie Reed and Sophie Edwards scored less than 70 seconds apart, the latter coming on a player-up opportunity, to give the Generals a 3-1 advantage. Shenandoah cut the deficit to one on a goal from Natalie Opatovsky, but Kelly Polacek answered in the final 30 seconds of the quarter to give W&L a 4-2 lead after one.
The Hornets continued to apply pressure in the second quarter, as Ransom opened the scoring to make it 4-3. Washington and Lee responded with back-to-back goals from Hannah Van Son and Emma Marsh to extend the lead to 6-3, but SU answered again late in the half on Ransom's third goal to send the teams into the break with W&L leading 6-4.
W&L created separation in the third quarter. Baki opened the scoring off a feed from Hannah Russell, and after Opatovsky brought the Hornets back within two, Marsh responded with a late Blue and White goal to push the lead to 8-5 heading into the fourth.
The Generals put the game out of reach early in the final period, as Baki scored twice in a three-minute span to extend the advantage to 10-5. Shenandoah added a late player-up goal from Opatovsky, but WLU maintained control down the stretch to secure the 10-6 victory.
Individual W&L Performances
- Lara Baki led all scorers with four goals.
- Six Generals tallied scores on the night with Emma Marsh adding a pair of goals off two attempts.
- Kelly Polacek dished out a team-high two assists with a goal.
- Betty Boatwright registered a team-best four draw controls and four caused turner overs to add to a pair of ground balls.
- Defender Hannah Russell also recorded an assist on a fast-break opportunity after intercepting an SU pass in the midfield.
- Sophomores Russell and Dagny Tombaugh led the defensive effort with a team-high ground ball totals with five each.
- Iman Haddad made five stops to earn the win.
By The Numbers
- Washington and Lee outshot Shenandoah, 27-17, including a 15-9 edge in the first half.
- The Generals held advantages in ground balls (24-20) and draw controls (11-7).
- W&L was efficient in transition, going 16-for-18 on clears and stifled the Hornets attempts to advance into their scoring area, 17-25.
- The Generals forced 17-of-20 SU turnovers, disrupting Shenandoah's offensive rhythm throughout the game.
- Shenandoah was led by Natalie Opatovsky and Emily Ransom, who combined for all six goals (3 each).
- Alya Jantz grabbed four draws for the visitors and registered on of two assists
Up Next: Washington and Lee returns to action on Saturday the 18th at noon against the University of Lynchburg and will celebrate the program's alumni.
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.
