Box Score LEXINGTON, Va.- In a battle of crosstown rivals, the VMI men's soccer
team dropped a hard-fought 2-0 decision to the Washington & Lee
Generals Tuesday afternoon at Patchin Field.
The Generals (4-3-1) struck
quickly, as Tommy Pignatelli found Timothy Bouch with a pass from the far-right
hand corner of the box. Bouch fired it past VMI goalkeeper Brian Sowell, and W
& L took a 1-0 advantage at the 7:39 mark of the opening half.
The Keydets (0-6) controlled the
remainder of the first half, attempting 12 of the game's next 13 shots, but VMI
could not convert on the tying goal. At intermission, the home team held a 12-2
advantage in shots, and a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks, but the visiting
Generals held a 1-0 advantage.
Just 2:47 into the second half, W
& L increased its lead. Whit Larkin got behind a VMI defender, and laid off
a right-to-left pass for Pignatelli, who beat Sowell to make the score 2-0.
That goal would account for the final margin.
The Keydets were able to attempt
12 second-half shots, but four were blocked and three were stopped by Generals'
goalkeeper Benjamin Bartlett. All told, W & L defenders blocked six shots
during the game, while Bartlett
made six saves.
VMI's best second period chances came on a flurry in the 83rd
minute, but Brian Harding hit the crossbar with a shot, and less than a minute
later, fired a shot just wide as the Keydets came up short.
Despite a 24-9 advantage in total
shots, and a 9-2 edge in corner kicks, the loss drops VMI to 0-6 on the season.
The Generals' victory moves them to 4-3-1 overall.
VMI men's soccer
returns to action Sunday, as the Keydets host Coastal Carolina in the Big South
Conference opener for both clubs. Game time at Patchin Field is currently
scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
