Women’s soccer hands loss to Generals

If you ask any Virginia Wesleyan student-athlete his or her feelings towards a certain school that lies in the hills of Lexington, Va. and has the colors of blue and white, most, if not all, answers will inevitably come back with a vulgarity and the word "them" following it.

Don't believe me?

Just ask any member of Virginia Wesleyan’s women's soccer team two hours before they played Washington and Lee University on September 25 at Foster Field.

"Normally [Head Coach Jeff Bowers] gives amazing speeches just before the game," said sophomore midfielder Kelly Donnelly. "But for that game, I didn't need it."

The Marlins went into the game ranked 15 in the nation, while the Generals were 25. But rankings do not matter. The Marlins lost to the Generals in the 2003 ODAC championship only to beat them in the sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. But the past does not matter.

The only thing that ever matters in sports is the final score at the end of the game. And in the Sept. 25 game, the Marlins stared down the Generals to a score of 3-1.

"There was no difference in preparation," said Bowers. "The name 'W&L' evokes a lot of passion in players."

Rookie goalie Lindsey Williams stepped up in just her second game as a starter, recording three saves on eight shots. Sophomore Kristen Byrnes and senior Keren Larkin each scored goals for the Marlins in the first half with assists from junior Danielle Burns and first-year Megan Clark, respectively. Senior Sharon Hay put the nail in the coffin with a goal in the second half, assisted from sophomore Morgan McCann.

Apparently their aggression was not exhausted during the W&L game, because they beat Randolph-Macon Women's College by a score of 8-0. Nine different Marlins scored a point in that game with seniors Nicole Hite scoring two goals, Larkin with two goals and two assists, and Hay with a goal.

Thus far this season, Hay and Larkin combine for nine of the last 18 goals scored by The Marlins.

The team is currently riding high with a 7-1-1 record halfway through the season and a national ranking ranked 10 nationally according to the NSCAA/adidas poll.

"This is the biggest week of our year," said Bowers.

Closing out Sept. and entering into the first week of Oct., the Marlins will face some stiff competition from an ODAC rival and a traditionally tough team.

Roanoke College, (6-2,) and Salisbury University, (3-4-1)come to Virginia Beach to try and knock off the talented and deep Marlins squad.

Bowers is extremely confident in his team and compares the talent level of this year’s team to that of last year's team that made it to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament.

"I think we're in a good spot," said Bowers. "We have the chance to do very well. We have gone through some ups and downs because we're young, so it won't be good all the time. The most important thing is playing good soccer."

With fierce ODAC competition comprising most of the Marlin's remaining schedule, Bowers hopes his talented new comers and trusted veterans understand the importance of each game down the stretch.