WINCHESTER, Va. – The Shenandoah University field hockey team clinched a first round bye at the upcoming ODAC Tournament with a 2-1 win over Washington & Lee Wednesday evening at rainy Sprint Field at Shentel Stadium.
 
Megan Stevens scored with 42 seconds remaining to push SU (13-3, 6-1 ODAC) past the Generals (8-7, 5-2).

IN DEPTH

Awarded a penalty corner, Stevens inserted the corner to Kelsey Jones, and Jones, the nation's assists leader, sent it right back to Stevens on the near post. Stevens redirected that feed in for what proved to be the game-winner.
 
With one game remaining in the league slate, on Saturday at Eastern Mennonite, the Hornets are assured of no worse than a tie for second with Washington & Lee.
 
Wednesday's win gives SU the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Generals and means that the Hornets advance to the Friday, November 7, semi-final versus the No. 3 vs No. 6 quarterfinal round winner.
 
The semi-finals and finals will be held at Shellenberger Field on the Lynchburg University campus November 7 and 8.
 
Washington & Lee opened the game's scoring on a goal just 4:48 in as Freddie Tobeason fed Olivia Hewitt for the initial tally of the contest.
 
Midway through the second quarter, Jones set up Lauren Tyre with the equalizer.
 
Jones now has a program-record 20 assists on the season.

QUOTABLE

"We accomplished our main goal – to get the first-round bye," head coach Ashley Smeltzer-Kraft said. "We battled all night long and were able to come out on top."

HOW IT HAPPENED

W&L    4:48     |          Olivia Hewitt (Freddie Tobeason)
SU        25:11   |          Lauren Tyre (Kelsey Jones)
SU        59:18   |          Megan Stevens (Jones)
 
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