Women's Lax fall in ODAC Title Game to W&L

LEXINGTON, Va. --- The top-seeded and sixth-ranked Washington and Lee women's lacrosse team claimed its sixth-straight ODAC championship title with a 13-4 victory over second-seeded Roanoke on Sunday at Watt Field.

With the win, the Generals will receive an automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Tournament and set a new program record for wins in a season (17), besting the previous record of 16 in 2006.

W&L (17-2) opened the first-half with seven-unanswered goals, including three tallies from freshman midfielder Emily Mathews (Baltimore, Md./Bryn Mawr), to take a 7-0 lead at 11:28. RC found the back of the net at 8:06 when sophomore midfielder Gina Valles (South Windsor, Conn./Westminster) scored on a free-position shot, but W&L senior attacker Christine Bender (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) added a goal for an 8-1 advantage at the half.

The Generals began the second half scoring when junior attacker Kelsi Robinson (West Chester, Pa./Westtown) found sophomore attacker Britten Mathews (Richmond, Va./Collegiate) at 24:31 to up the lead to 9-1. The Maroons then added two more markers, including one from freshman Meegan Rourke (Greenwich, Conn./Millbrook School) and another from sophomore midfielder Paige Mason (Orangeville, Canada/Orangeville), to cut W&L's advantage to 9-3 at 17:27. However, the Generals scored four out of the last five goals of the game to ensure their 10th all-time ODAC title.

W&L was paced by Emily Mathews, who scored four goals. Bender tallied two goals and one assist, while junior attacker Katie Flippen (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Academy) amassed two goals. Robinson registered one goal and dished out two assists. Senior Sarah Tilbor (West Simsbury,Conn./Simsbury) played all 60:00 between the pipes and stopped 13 shots.

RC (10-8) was led by Mason, who notched two goals and one assist. Rourke and Valles (South Windsor, Conn./Westminster) added one goal apiece. Junior goalkeeper Katlyn Scarlett (Reisterstown, Md./St. Paul's School for Girls) played the entire contest and made nine saves.

Washington and Lee will find out its first opponent for the 2008 NCAA Tournament on Sun., May 4.