LEXINGTON, Va. --- Nationally ninth-ranked Washington and Lee University claimed its sixth overall and second straight ODAC women's soccer championship on Saturday afternoon, tying Virginia Wesleyan University, 1-1, through regulation and a pair of overtime periods before an extended eight-round shootout went WLU's way on Alston Parker Watt Field.
Both squads made their first six kicks before Washington and Lee missed the first attempt in the seventh round. Generals' keeper Kate McEnroe kept the game alive by making a save on the Marlins seventh-round try and then she converted WLU's eighth-round kick. That proved to be the winning boot as VWU's eighth-round effort sailed over the bar for a 7-6 shootout win for the home squad.
Washington and Lee (16-2-2) earns one of 43 automatic entries in the Division III Women's Soccer Championship field as the ODAC champion. Virginia Wesleyan (15-3-3) will be among many teams with eyes towards both any remaining conference tournaments and the National Power Index (NPI) rankings to see if they will earn one of 21 at-large bids into the 64-team postseason bracket. The NCAA is slated to release the women's soccer bracket on Monday morning at 11:00 a.m. ET on ncaa.com.
The Marlins were the first to turn a zero into a one on the scoreboard on Saturday. Courtney Mills used every ounce of her speed as well as her strength to shake-off a Washington and Lee defender on a long burst before slipping a shot past the Generals' keeper in the 28th minute. It marked Mills' fourth goal of the season.
Virginia Wesleyan's edge held up through the halftime break, but only the Generals quickly leveled the match just after the intermission. Sarah Zimmerman one-timed a pass from Mary Parrish Green at the top of the six-yard box just 4:44 into the second half.
Both teams had chances thereafter, but the best two came from Washington and Lee's attack. One goal off a corner kick was called back with the offsides flag high in the air, while Generals' centerback Sydney Devory hit a screamer from 20-yards that cracked the crossbar squarely with 5:30 to play in regulation.
The resulting shootout marked the seventh time in league history that the ODAC's women's soccer champion was determined by penalty kicks. Spot kicks were needed four times since 2019 with Virginia Wesleyan involved on three occasions.
- ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
- ?Bridgewater (2): Kendall Garza, Sophia Phillips
- Shenandoah (2): McKenna Newcome, Isabella Pop
- Virginia Wesleyan (3): Courtney Mills, Alex Ortega, Kaylyn Seitz
- Washington and Lee (4): Bryn Bissinger, Amelia Manke, Kate McEnroe, Sarah Zimmerman