There are but three things guaranteed in this world: death, taxes and the Washington and Lee men’s soccer team figuring things out in the month of October.
Just three weeks ago, playoff hopes for the Generals were rapidly dwindling. They had an 0-2-3 record in their first five games.
But they’ve started to put their foot on the gas.
The Generals tied No. 19 Catholic University on Sept. 13. Then they crushed Regent University the next week in a 7-0 blowout and beat major rival Roanoke College 2-0 in a hard, physical matchup. They defeated Eastern Mennonite University 2-0, tied No. 23 Hampden-Sydney College on Oct. 1, and just beat No. 20 Virginia Wesleyan University 2-0 in Virginia Beach on Oct. 4.
“I think we just start locking in when our backs are up against the wall,” said third-year captain Matthew Jenkins, ’27. “It’s why we’ve done really well in the playoffs the last couple years.”
The Generals have reached the Division III Final Four three times in the last four years, a feat that only one other school in the country (Amherst College) has achieved. But for two of those Final Four runs, there was a point in the season when it was questionable if they would make the playoffs at all.
Last season, the team was 1-3 in their first four games before going 20 games without a loss. The year before that, they didn’t beat a ranked opponent until their last game of the regular season against No. 23 Lynchburg.
“I think there are always some nerves at the start of the season, but they go away once we get settled and comfortable on the pitch after a few weeks,” said senior Buster Couhig, ’26, who leads the team in scoring with three goals.
Like last year, there were some significant changes to the team in the offseason. The Generals lost several senior starters, including Lucas Pleasants, Will Luik and Weyimi Agbeyegbe. Agbeyegbe ended his college career with the most points in W&L history (121) and was named the recipient of Pres Brown Most Valuable Men’s Sport Athlete Award in 2025.
“Senior leaders have always been the core of this team, and it’s always a hard adjustment at the beginning of the season when that leadership from last year is missing,” Jenkins said. “But this is the time of year when the leaders reestablish themselves and everyone starts stepping up.
First-year Sami Seife, ’29, has been a breakout star for the Generals this season. The dynamic freshman has two goals and two assists and is second on the team for shots taken (17), led only by Couhig.
“Our freshmen have been huge contributors already this year,” Jenkins said. “You have guys like Sami, Issac [Arrowood], Kaden [Zion] that already look like second- or third-year players on the pitch. Having guys like that is huge for the team.”
“I’m comfortable with any of our freshmen on the field at any given moment, and that’s huge,” Couhig said. “You don’t always have that.”
The team will have to continue to prove themselves over the next few weeks. They play No. 5 Christopher Newport University on Oct. 8 at 3 p.m.
It’s too early to see where the rest of the season will go. But the Generals might be doing it again, and it’s time to start paying attention.
