Posted: Apr 26, 2009
SALEM, Va. --- Roanoke rallied from a four-goal first half deficit to defeat Washington & Lee, 11-9 in the ODAC Championship Sunday afternoon at Kerr Stadium. The Maroons claim their first ODAC Crown for the first time since 1999, knocking off the six-time defending champions.
After knocking off the Generals, 12-8 in the regular season for their first ODAC loss since 2004, they were defeated in the ODAC Tournament for the first time in 15 tries. In addition, the Maroons won back-to-back games against the Generals for the first time since 1997.
The 10-game winning streak is tied for the fourth-longest in school-history. The 15 wins this season is one shy of tying the 1988 team for second most in a single-season at Roanoke.
The story of the game, and perhaps the tournament was Gina Valles, who scored nine goals and added two assists on the weekend. She scored five goals in the championship, including three of the four unanswered goals to tie the game at 6-6 early in the second half. Her effort shifted the momentum of the game for the Maroons as they scored nine of the final 12 goals of the game.
The Generals jumped out to a 5-0 lead at the 19:16 mark on the strength of two goals from senior midfielder Kelsi Robinson. The Maroons then added back-to-back goals and made it a three-goal game (6-3) at halftime.
After Roanoke tied the contest at 6-all, both teams exchanged the next two goals. Valles scored unassisted just 49 seconds later to give Roanoke its first lead of the game, 9-8 and never trailed the rest of the game.
Valles broke the single-season scoring record with 91 points as the sophomore moved into eighth on the all-time scoring list (170 points). She also moved into sixth in career goals with 134 and became the third player in school-history with 100 draw controls. She is now six goals shy of setting the single-season goals record.
Carolyn Miller scored two goals to pace Roanoke while Paige Mason added a goal and led the team with two assists. Mason also totaled three caused turnovers and two draw controls. Bianca Catta-Preta had a stellar defensive performance, collecting two groundballs with a season-best four caused turnovers.
Katlyn Scarlett had seven saves in goal, including four in the second half. She stopped three shots in the final two minutes, two off free-position shots to seal the win.
W&L was paced by Robinson, who tallied three goals and one assist. Junior attacker Meredith Freeman notched two goals. Sophomore Katharine Farrar played 55 minutes in goal and recorded four saves.
Robinson, Colleen Evans and Emmy Mathews all represented W&L on the All-Tournament team, while Valles, Scarlett, Mason, Miller and junior defender Carolyn Clark were named to the team from Roanoke.
The women will await their opponent when the selection show airs next Sunday, May 3 in the NCAA Tournament. The Maroons received an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999.
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2009 All-Tournament Team
Carolyn Clark, Roanoke
Paige Mason, Roanoke
Carolyn Miller, Roanoke
Katlyn Scarlett, Roanoke
Gina Valles, Roanoke
Colleen Evans, Washington and Lee
Emmy Mathews, Washington and Lee
Kelsi Robinson, Washington and Lee
Morgan Hutchinson, Randolph-Macon
Erin Clare Cassidy, Randolph-Macon
Laura Norris, Virginia Wesleyan
Amy Sraver, Virginia Wesleyan
