W&L WOMEN'S LACROSSE REACHES ODAC FINAL WITH 15-8 WIN OVER VWC

LEXINGTON, Va. -- Tenth-ranked and top-seeded Washington and Lee won its 14th straight game with a 15-8 win over fourth-seeded Virginia Wesleyan in the semifinals of the ODAC women's lacrosse tournament on Saturday afternoon at the Liberty Hall Fields.

The Marlins (11-5) took a 1-0 lead just 59 seconds into the game when junior midfielder Anne Marie Nash (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Academy) scored unassisted. However, the Generals ripped off the next four goals, two by sophomore midfielder Natalya Hoobchaak (Barrington, Ill./Loyola Academy), to assume a 4-1 lead with just over 14 minutes gone by.

Virginia Wesleyan pulled to within 4-3 on a pair of goals by freshman attacker Laura Wallace (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan), but the Generals again pulled away, closing the half on a five-goal run for a 9-3 halftime advantage.

Washington and Lee (14-1) was led by junior attacker Kelly Taffe (Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle), who tallied four goals and one assist. Senior attacker Leslie Bogart (Wilton, Conn./Wilton) notched two goals and three assists, while Hoobchaak added three goals. Junior Joanna Perini (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) posted 13 saves in goal.

The Marlins were paced by Wallace's three goals, while Nash added two goals and two assists. Junior Margie Baker (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) made nine saves in goal.

The Generals advance to the ODAC Championship game where they will face third-seeded Roanoke. Gametime is set for 2:00 pm on the Liberty Hall Fields.

SCORING:
W&L GOALS - Kelly Taffe 4, Natalya Hoobchaak 3, Leslie Bogart 2, Katharine Lester 2, Lee Wheeler 2, Kristen Brown 1, Erin Rathbone 1.
W&L ASSISTS - Leslie Bogart 3, Kelly Taffe 1, Rachel Wallick 1.
VWC GOALS - Laura Wallace 3, Anne Marie Nash 2, Jess Williams 2.
VWC ASSISTS - Anne Marie Nash 2, Megan Parris 2.

GOALTENDING:
Joanna Perini (W&L) 60:00, 8 GA, 13 Saves, 21 Shots
Margie Baker (VWC) 60:00, 15 GA, 9 Saves, 24 Shots