LEXINGTON, Va. – The No. 25 Washington and Lee University Women's Soccer Team (11-1, 7-0 ODAC) picked up a 2-0 victory in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play over visiting Emory & Henry College (2-10-1, 2-4-1 ODAC) Tuesday afternoon at Watt Field. W&L's national ranking comes from D3soccer.com.
The two-goal margin was the closest between the two squads since Washington and Lee defeated Emory & Henry by the same 2-0 margin in the quarterfinals of the 2006 ODAC Tournament.
The Generals got their first tally at the 35:28 mark in the first half. Holley Beasley registered an unassisted goal to make the score 1-0. Emory & Henry's defense held strong through the rest of the first half to keep the 1-0 margin at intermission.
The nationally-ranked Washington and Lee side kept the pressure on in the second 45 minutes, but E&H held strong, forcing shots off target and saving those that were on frame. The Generals put up 16 shots in the second half but could not break through until there was just 7:29 remaining in the contest. W&L made the score 2-0 when Becca Dunn's pass found Haley Ward and Ward beat the goalkeeper for the goal.
For the match, the Generals outshot the Wasps by a 29-4 margin and held a 16-3 advantage on shots on goal. E&H also forced W&L into an offside position on five different occasions during the match.
Emory & Henry senior goalkeeper Sarah Jerome (Charlotte, N.C.) made 12 saves in the contest, tying her season high. Sophomore midfielder Emily Belanger (Tampa, Fla.) had a pair of shots on goal while junior forward Erica Merriman (Cornelius, N.C.) also recorded a shot on frame.
E&H will return home on Friday for an ODAC contest against Randolph-Macon College. Kickoff between the Wasps and Yellow Jackets is set for 5:00 p.m.
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