LEXINGTON, Va. – The 10th-ranked Washington and Lee women's lacrosse team defeated No. 5 seed Shenandoah University, 11-8, in the ODAC Semifinals on Friday evening at Watt Field.
With the win, the top-seeded Generals improve to 14-4 overall and advance to the ODAC Championship game thanks to a strong lead built in the first half complimented by a strong defensive second half.
Game Summary
The Generals opened the scoring with back-to-back goals from Betty Boatwright and Grace Kim, before Shenandoah answered to cut the deficit to 2-1. W&L responded quickly, as Dagny Tombaugh converted to restore a two-goal margin. After the Hornets pulled within one again late in the first, Sophie Edwards scored in the final minute to give the Generals a 4-2 lead after one.
Washington and Lee seized control in the second quarter, scoring five consecutive goals to extend the lead to 9-2. Kim and Emma Marsh opened the run, followed by tallies from Kelly Polacek and Lara Baki, with Baki's second goal — assisted by Polacek — capping the surge. Shenandoah responded with three late goals, including a player-up tally from Natalie Opatovsky, to cut the margin to 9-5 at halftime.
The Generals halted the Hornets' momentum early in the third, as Hannah Van Son and Polacek scored to push the advantage back to 11-5. Shenandoah added a player-up goal later in the period and continued to chip away in the fourth, scoring twice to trim the deficit to 11-8.
Despite the late push, Washington and Lee's defense held firm over the final minutes to secure the victory.
Individual W&L Performances
- Kelly Polacek led all players with four points (2 goals, 2 assists).
- Grace Kim added three points (2 goals, 1 assist) and Lara Baki recorded two goals, both during the decisive second-quarter run.
- The Generals featured nine different goal scorers.
- Dagny Tombaugh dominated defensively with a game-high seven ground balls, three caused turnovers and recorded an unassisted goal.
- Hannah Russell contributed a game-best four draw controls and added a caused turnover with a pair of ground balls.
- Iman Haddad made eight saves in goal.
By The Numbers
- Washington and Lee held a 32-18 advantage in shots and a 22-10 edge in shots on goal.
- The Generals controlled possession with 19 ground balls to Shenandoah's 14.
- W&L won the draw battle 11-9, led by Russell's four controls.
- The Generals' 5-0 second-quarter run turned a 4-2 lead into a 9-2 advantage and proved decisive.
- Shenandoah closed the game on a 3-0 run, but W&L limited the Hornets to just two goals over the first 25 minutes.
- Free-position opportunities were limited, with W&L going 0-for-3 and Shenandoah 2-for-6.
- Natalie Opatovsky led the Hornets with two goals on six shots on goal.
- Addison Harmel totaled two points (1 goal, 1 assist) with five ground balls and three caused turnovers.
- Ayla Jantz added a goal and controlled three draws.
Up Next: Washington and Lee will face No. 2 Randolph-Macon in the ODAC Championship game on Sunday, May 3 at 1 p.m. on Watt Field.
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.
