LANCASTER, Pa. – Two first-half goals were enough to propel the Washington and Lee men's soccer team to its first win of the season on Friday night, a 2-0 final at Franklin & Marshall.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- After only three total shots across more than 27 minutes of play, the Generals (1-1) were awarded a penalty kick after an F&M (0-2) foul in the box. Sophomore Sami Seife took the penalty for the Generals and tallied his first goal of the season inside the left post.
- In the 35th minute, sophomore Kaden Zion lofted a pass from the right side to the back post and found the leaping head of junior Justin Ceccanecchio for the team's second goal. Ceccanecchio got just enough on the ball to redirect his shot inside the post.
- The W&L defense proceeded to hold the Diplomats without a shot on goal in the second half, while limiting them to just four total attempts over the final 45 minutes.
- Zion managed to put a shot on target in the 60th minute, the only shot on goal in the second half for either team, but Diego Moreno was able to make the save.
TOP PERFORMERS:
- Seife and Ceccanecchio both notched their first goals of the season to lead the Generals to victory. Zion's assist on Ceccanecchio's score was his first of the season as well.
- First-year Matt Stitz and junior Ricardo Sanchez paced the W&L offense with two shots each. In addition to Seife and Ceccanecchio, Zion, junior Trey Peterson and senior Matthew Jenkins had a shot on goal each.
- Nico Palacios and Ellis Boyle were the lone Diplomat players with multiple shots, both taking two. Palacios and Jackson Smith had a shot on goal each.
- Junior Miles Furman secured his first clean sheet of the season and second of his career with two saves. Moreno played all 90 minutes in the F&M goal and saved three shots.
TEAM STATS:
- Both teams took five shots in the first half before the Generals outshot F&M, 6-4, in the second half for an 11-9 final edge.
- The Generals also earned seven corner kicks in the game, including six in the second half, compared to four for the Diplomats.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will retake the field on Sunday in Baltimore, Md., when they battle Johns Hopkins at 1:00 p.m.
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.
