SWARTHMORE, Pa. --- The No. 11 Washington and Lee men's soccer team saw its 2019 season come to an end in the Sweet 16 with a 2-1 overtime loss to No. 5 Tufts on Saturday evening.
The Generals end their year at 17-3-3 overall, while the Jumbos improve to 17-2-2 with the win.
After 90 minutes of regulation play yielded a 1-1 score, the Jumbos went on to score the game-winning goal in the 92nd minute when sophomore midfielder Zach Seigelstein knocked the ball into the back of the net off a feed from junior forward Max Jacobs.
Trailing, 1-0, at the start of the second half, the Jumbos seized control of the game, putting constant pressure on the W&L defense. After several corners went unconverted, Tufts sophomore defender Ian Daly scored in the 62nd minute off a pass from sophomore defender Will Raphael to tie the game.
The Generals opened the game strongly, controlling possession and making crisp passes from the outset. In the 29th minute, a Tufts foul gave the Generals a free kick on the left side. The ball was sent into the box and touched out in the middle of the field by first-year midfielder Samuel Bass(Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park).
Racing in for a shot, first-year defender Tyler Smith (Alexandria, Va./St. Stephens & St. Agnes School) hit a right-footed shot with a full head of steam from 20 yards out and sent the ball past the Tufts keeper and into the top-left corner to give the Generals a lead.
Smith's goal came on his only shot of the game, while Bass led the offense with four shots and put two attempts on goal. Junior midfielder Harris Salom (Blacksburg, Va./Blacksburg) shot three times and put one attempts on target. Sophomore goalkeeper Michael Nyc (Kildeer, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) (17-3-3) played all 91:14 of the contest and made six saves.
For the Jumbos, Seigelstein led the offense with four shots and put three attempts on goal. Senior midfielders Gavin Tasker and Zach Lane and senior forward Joe Braun all came in next with three shots each and combined for three shots on goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Erich Kindermann (17-2-2) made three saves over the duration of the game to earn the win.
The Jumbos outshot the Generals, 18-12, including a 9-5 advantage after the first half, and earned eight corner kicks to two for W&L.
The Generals' appearance in the Sweet 16 was their second in the last three years, while this year marked their fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, a program record.
--- This release is courtesy of the Washington and Lee University athletic communications department. ---
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