LEXINGTON, Va. --- The 12th-ranked Washington and Lee men's lacrosse team rode a 14-1 halftime lead to a 23-5 win over Transylvania in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday at Wilson Field.
The Generals (15-4) needed just 57 seconds to take the upper hand in the contest, as sophomore midfielder Hudson Hamill(Darien, Conn. / Darien) scored unassisted for a 1-0 lead. Senior attackman A.J. Witherell (Wilmington, Del. / Salesianum) notched three scores and assisted on another before the end of the quarter and W&L carried an 8-1 lead into the second period.
Hamill posted one goal and one assist, and first-year attackman Taylor Witherell (Wilmington, Del. / Salesianum) recorded a pair of goals in the second quarter en route to the 13-goal (14-1) halftime advantage.
The Pioneers (12-7) scored back-to-back goals to start the third period and cut it to 14-3, but the Blue & White strung together another five-goal run for a commanding 19-3 lead with 6:18 left in the third period. Five different players all found the back of the net during the run, as 13 different players scored goals for the game.
W&L held a 55-12 advantage in shots and a 45-22 edge in ground balls. The Generals also claimed 21-of-32 faceoffs and forced 24 Transylvania turnovers.
A.J. Witherell led W&L with four goals and one assist, giving him 89 points for the season. That total breaks his own W&L season scoring record (88) set last season. Taylor Witherellnotched three goals, while Hamill and senior attackman Sam Dardani (Waccabuc, N.Y. / Westminster) logged two goals and two assists each. Senior midfielder Jones Veith(Alexandria, Va. / St. Stephen's & St. Agnes) posted two goals and one assist, and junior midfielder Sam Boxley (Roanoke, Va. / Patrick Henry) and sophomore midfielder Thomas Zusi (Chester, N.J. / Pingry School) notched two goals apiece.
Sophomore midfielder Jack Hodgson (Richmond, Va. / St. Christopher's) went 14-of-21 at the faceoff X, setting a new W&L record for season faceoff wins. His total of 252 (252-378, .667) eclipsed the mark of 246 set by Sandy Harrison '88 in 1987. Junior long-stick midfielder Drew Barnard (Darien, Conn. / Brunswick School) spearheaded the defensive effort for W&L, collecting five ground balls and forcing three turnovers.
A trio of goalkeepers played for the Generals. First-year Jack Taylor (Baltimore, Md. / Saint Paul's) played the first half and registered three saves to record the victory.
First-year midfielder Kayd Aquino paced the Pioneers with one goal and one assist. Sophomore defenseman T.J. Toivonen logged four caused turnovers and three ground balls, and first-year goalkeeper Michael Webb notched 10 saves in the first 45 minutes of action.
Washington and Lee advances to the third round of the tournament where it will face ninth-ranked Dickinson. The Generals will travel to the Red Devils for a game on Saturday. The time is yet to be determined.
--- This release is courtesy of the Washington and Lee University sports information department. ---
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