The Virginia Wesleyan women's soccer team (15-3-3, 8-1-1 ODAC) battled top-seeded Washington and Lee (16-2-2, 10-0-0 ODAC) to a 1-1 draw through 110 minutes before falling in a penalty shootout in the ODAC Championship on Saturday afternoon at Watt Field in Lexington, Va.
The Marlins struck first in the 27th minute when
Courtney Mills found the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season, giving VWU an early 1-0 lead. The Marlins maintained that advantage into halftime as the defense absorbed consistent pressure from the Generals' attack.
Washington and Lee equalized in the 49th minute to make it 1-1. Despite numerous chances for both sides throughout regulation and two overtime periods, neither team could find the game-winner.
The match was ultimately decided in a penalty shootout, where the Generals edged the Marlins after seven rounds.
Alexis Miller,
Kaylyn Seitz,
Paige Bissell,
Riley Keefe,
Lindsey Syms, and
Autumn Horst all converted their penalty attempts for VWU, while goalkeeper
Allie Greco made several key stops to keep the Marlins alive until the final round.
Washington and Lee held a 32-10 advantage in total shots and a 15-1 edge in corner kicks, but Virginia Wesleyan's defense stood firm throughout. Greco finished with 10 saves, while the back line of
Stephanie Koblish,
Paige Bissell, and
Alex Ortega anchored a resilient defensive effort that kept the Generals' attack at bay in the extra periods.
Virginia Wesleyan concludes its season with a 15-3-3 record and an appearance in the ODAC Championship match.
