Box Score LEXINGTON, Va. – The 11th-ranked Washington and Lee women's lacrosse team suffered an 8-7 overtime loss to No. 22 Christopher Newport on Wednesday evening at Watt Field in a tightly contested NCAA Tournament matchup between nationally-ranked programs. The victory marked Christopher Newport's first postseason win over the Generals in five all-time NCAA Tournament meetings.
Christopher Newport (15-6) erased a 7-4 second-half deficit by scoring the final four goals of the contest, including the game-winner with 2:40 remaining in overtime. Brooklynn Peterson finished a feed from Brookelyn Morrison for the decisive score, lifting the Captains past Washington and Lee (15-5) after the Generals controlled much of the opening three quarters.
Game Summary
Washington and Lee controlled much of the opening three quarters, building a 6-3 halftime lead before extending the margin back to 7-4 late in the third quarter following
Kelly Polacek's second goal of the contest. Christopher Newport, however, responded with four unanswered goals across the fourth quarter and overtime to rally for the victory.
Sophie Edwards opened the scoring off an assist from
Lara Baki, before Christopher Newport answered less than three minutes later on a goal from Kate Lamendola. The Generals responded with consecutive tallies from Baki and
Hannah Van Son to take a 3-1 lead midway through the first quarter.
Christopher Newport cut the deficit to one late in the opening period on Peterson's first goal, and the Captains pulled even early in the second after Morrison converted a free-position opportunity to make it 3-3.
Washington and Lee answered with three straight goals to regain control. Polacek scored off a feed from Van Son before Baki added back-to-back goals, including one with 59 seconds remaining in the half, to give the Generals a 6-3 advantage at the break.
After Faith O'Connor scored early in the third quarter for Christopher Newport, Polacek answered with W&L's final goal of the evening to restore a three-goal cushion at 7-4 with 4:32 remaining in the frame.
The momentum shifted in the fourth quarter, as the Captains held Washington and Lee scoreless over the final 15 minutes of regulation. Goals from Elena Sorkin and Sam Murphy trimmed the deficit to one before Sorkin tied the contest at 7-7 with 4:04 remaining.
Both defenses held firm through the remainder of regulation and into overtime before Christopher Newport capitalized on the deciding sequence. After Washington and Lee earned a late free-position opportunity in overtime, the Captains secured possession, a quick clear, and Peterson finished a feed from Morrison with 2:40 remaining to complete the comeback victory.
W&L completes the season with a 15-5 overall record and will await the postseason award announcements from the IWLCA.
W&L Leaders
CNU Leaders
- Brooklynn Peterson and Elena Sorkin each scored twice and Morrison totaled four points (1 goal, 3 assists).
- Goalkeeper Hadley Chadwick recorded 12 saves in the victory (.632 save percentage).
- Gabby Saia and Sam Murphy collected four ground balls and two caused turnovers, each.
By the Numbers
- Christopher Newport held a 32-25 advantage in shots and a 24-19 edge in shots on goal.
- The Captains outscored the Generals 4-0 across the fourth quarter and overtime after trailing 7-4 late in the third.
- Christopher Newport held a slight edge in ground balls (21-16) and draw controls (9-8).
- Washington and Lee went 20-for-23 on clears, while Christopher Newport finished 20-for-23.
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.
