W&L cruises to lacrosse win over Sewanee

LEXINGTON — The Washington and Lee men’s lacrosse team did not have a hard time winning its NCAA tournament game Wednesday.

Its next game figures to be much tougher.

The Generals scored the first two goals of the game and led the rest of the way in a 19-6 victory over Sewanee in the first round of the Division III tournament.

W&L (16-4) will meet defending Division III champ Salisbury (Md.) in the second round Saturday. The Sea Gulls (15-5) have won the NCAA crown 10 times, including the past two years. They crushed visiting Susquehanna 22-2 on Wednesday.

It will be determined today whether W&L or Salisbury will host the game.

W&L won 7-6 in double overtime at Salisbury on Feb. 20, when Salisbury was ranked No. 1. That snapped a four-game W&L skid in the series.

“We can definitely do it again,” said Cameron Dabir, who had two goals Wednesday.

“We are so excited for Salisbury,” said Jack Switala, who had three goals. “They’re an unbelievable team. We’ve had some bad, bad losses to them.”

The Generals are ranked No. 8 in this week’s Division III poll, with Salisbury ranked No. 12.

W&L, which tied the school record for wins Wednesday, is in the NCAAs for the first time since 2009.

“We’re just really tough and we’re really gritty,” said Switala, a senior. “We’ve got … a senior class that’s been through a lot, not making it the last three years. It’s just how bad we want it — I think that’s why we’ve had a successful year.”

W&L sophomore Cooper Brown said the squad has better chemistry than last year’s 10-9 team.

“The locker room’s different, and it’s translated from off the field to on the field,” Brown said. “We didn’t have the best leadership [last year]. I think the leadership stepped up.”

Brown beat his younger brother Cotter’s team Wednesday.

“It was something I’ll remember for a long time,” Brown said. “I got to put him in line once again, so it was fun.

“It was a little bit tough for Mom.”

Each brother scored a goal. Cooper Brown’s goal came with his brother trying to stop him in a one-on-one duel. He pointed at his younger brother after scoring.

That goal was part of a pivotal stretch for W&L. With the Tigers (14-4) down just 3-2 early in the second quarter, W&L reeled off six straight goals to build a 9-2 cushion with 5:39 left in that quarter.

“We knew they were going to fold,” Switala said.

Switala and Dabir each had two goals in the run.

The 19 goals were W&L’s fourth-highest total this season.

“What really broke our back was their transition offense,” said Sewanee coach Marty Watters, a former W&L assistant. “Their middies were flying up field and ours were watching them do it.”

Patrick Henry graduate Will Douthat played for W&L, while Lexington natives Joe Irby and Hal Smith played for Sewanee.

Sewanee 1 2 2 1 — 6

Washington and Lee 3 7 4 5 — 19

Goals— Sewanee: Lincoln 2, Morris, Leonard, Brown, Millard; W&L: Switala 3, Dabir 2, Lewis 2, Means 2, Zanetis 2, Goldman, Paglia, Brown, Werner, Reuter, Garrett, Mitchell, Riehl. Assists— Sewanee: Morris 2, Daniel; W&L: Clarke 3, Wood 3, Dabir, Goldman, LaSala, Switala. Saves— Sewanee: Healy 5, Altizer 6; W&L: Berenis 14, Florig 3.

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