LEXINGTON, Va. – Four goals and four assists from senior
James Haley, along with stellar play from the defensive unit throughout, highlighted the No. 15 Washington and Lee men's lacrosse team's 16-6 win over fourth-seeded Hampden-Sydney in the conference semifinals on Friday.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Just as they did in the regular season meeting with the Tigers (10-9), the Generals (14-5) raced out to a 10-2 lead in the first half, before tacking on an additional two scores in the final two minutes for a 10-goal halftime lead.
- First-year Garrett Ferguson scored three of W&L's six first-quarter goals, while Haley and four other players found the back of the net in the second period. The Generals outscored the Tigers, 6-1, in both of the first two quarters for their commanding lead.
- On the defensive end in the first half, W&L allowed just eight shots total and also held the Tigers to 0-for-2 on extra-man opportunities.
- Two goals were scored in the third period, both from Hampden-Sydney, before W&L put the finishing touches on the dominant win with four more goals in the fourth quarter. Four different players tallied the W&L goals, with Haley adding an assist.
TOP PERFORMERS:
- Haley's eight-point game led all offensive players on the day, marking his fourth consecutive game with at least six points and second in that span with eight or more points.
- Ferguson finished the game with four points, all goals, while first-years Tucker Davis and Max Fertels combined for three goals and three assists. Davis added three ground balls to his stat line.
- The Generals won 14-of-23 face-offs on the day, with sophomore Israel Mikkelson (10-17) getting a bulk of the workload. Junior Thomas Moxley and first-year Hunter Hodges both went 2-for-3.
- Senior Jay O'Keefe, junior Spencer Surface and first-year Lawson Marshall all caused two turnovers to lead the W&L defense. Marshall had a high of four ground balls among that trio.
- Sophomore JJ Kim held strong between the pipes for the Blue and White, stopping 10-of-15 H-SC shots in 53:24 of action. He also caused a turnover and scooped up five ground balls. First-year Zach Rosenberg played the final 6:36 and made one save.
- Cameron Van Lunen and Kavin Wood both scored twice to pace the Hampden-Sydney offense. Van Lunen also caused two turnovers and picked up two ground balls.
- Will Palmer made 12 saves in the H-SC goal, and he covered goalie duties for the duration of the game.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Haley's historic season continued on Friday, as his eight points put him just two away from becoming the second player in program history to reach 100 points in a single season. Hudson Pokorny '23 set the record in 2023 with 109 points (50g, 59a).
- Haley moved past Alex Brown '24 (156) for the fifth-most goals scored in a career in program history, and he also moved up into a tie for fifth with Colin Dougherty '00 (109) for fifth-most assists in program history.
- First-year Luke Caldwell logged two points on Friday on a goal and an assist for an even 90 points this season. He is the fourth different player to reach 90 points in a season, but the first to do so as a first-year.
- The Generals have now won eight games in a row and 11 of their last 12 games overall. They will make their second straight appearance in the ODAC Championship game on Sunday.
TEAM STATS:
- W&L took 40 shots in the game, 27 of which came in the first half. Out of those 40 shots, 28 finished on goal. The Tigers put 17 of their 30 shot attempts on target.
- Hampden-Sydney committed five more turnovers than the Generals (26-21) and went 22-for-27 on clear attempts. W&L finished the game 30-for-32 on clears.
- The Blue and White held the edge in ground balls at 39-34. Both teams went 1-for-4 on man-up chances.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will face-off against seventh-ranked and second-seeded Lynchburg on Sunday in the ODAC Championship game at 3:30 p.m. The Generals and Hornets squared off just a week ago in the Hill City to close the regular season, with W&L edging Lynchburg, 17-15.
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.
