LEXINGTON, Va. -- An early first-half goal proved the difference in a 2-1 decision on Friday evening as the 15th-ranked Christopher Newport men's soccer team dropped a hard-fought match at second-ranked Washington & Lee University (6-0-1). Both teams traded goals in the second half for the final tally which drops the Captains to 3-2-2 overall this season.
W&L struck first on a corner kick goal less than five minutes into the match. The home team took a 1-0 lead on a header goal as the Captains defense got tangled up and Jack Rawlins was on the back post for the shot.
The score would hold at 1-0 with Christopher Newport forcing more action into the Generals defensive third, but could not cash in on a game-tying goal. CNU took seven shots in the first half while W&L managed five but put four on-frame.
In a quick start to the second half, each team scored on plays disputed by both defensive units. First, Washington & Lee made it 2-0 in the 48th minute when the Captains defense thought they had an offsides call whistled. Just over a minute and a half later, CNU erased that goal with a penalty kick score on a call with which the W&L defense took umbrage. In the former, Generals forward Samuel Bass played through the no-call and ripped a hard shot into the upper 90 after getting behind the defense. CNU's score came when
Colin McMunn ended up on the ground in the box, allowing for the Captains' lone goal of the match.
Cory Hogge stepped up to the spot and delivered the score for CNU.
After the early action, the second half calmed with the Captains clawing for every chance they could to find an equalizer. With 17 minutes left,
Cole Irvin made a potentially game-saving stop in goal for CNU. After the defense failed to clear a loose ball, a W&L midfielder chipped a soft pass into the middle of the box for Weyimi Agbeyegbe. The Generals' freshman volleyed the pass out of the air toward the right side of the goal and Irvin, falling to his left to cover that side of the goal, made a mid-air adjustment to punch the ball away with his left hand.
Minutes later, the Captains had potentially their best chance when
Mason Field found classmate
Jason LaViola without a defender at the top of the box. With plenty of space, LaViola blasted a shot toward the goal but it sailed high.
CNU ended the match with a 17-14 edge in total shots while taking 11 corner kicks opposed to just four by the home squad. Hogge led the Captains attack with five total shots including two onframe.
Jonathon Leiding had two attempts for CNU while
Will Collins added three.
Christopher Newport will next travel to face No. 25 Emory University on Sunday, September 26 in a neutral site contest hosted at the OrthoCarolina Sportsplex in Charlotte, N.C. Kickoff against the Eagles is scheduled for 3:00 pm.
