Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Contact: Chris Kilcoyne

540-387-9073 / chris@odaconline.com

 

Defending ODAC Women’s Soccer Champion Lynchburg Picked as Favorite for 2005

 

SALEM, VA – Coming off its fifth Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Women’s Soccer Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s “Sweet 16” a season ago, the Lynchburg College Hornets have been picked to repeat in 2005 in a vote taken of the league’s 12 head coaches.

 

LC received nine first-place votes and 140 points overall.  In 2004, ODAC Coach-of-the-Year Todd Olsen led his team to and overall record of 21-2-1.  Lynchburg capped off a perfect ODAC season with a 1-0 win over Washington and Lee in the ODAC finals.  The Hornets finished the regular season with a perfect 11-0-0 mark in the ODAC before winning the league tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament where they topped Emory 1-0 in overtime and lost to Christopher Newport 1-0 in the Round of 16.

 

Olsen will welcome back Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-ODAC member Kim Vaughan to the pitch this season.  Vaughan stared all 23 games at midfield for the Hornets, scoring two goals and adding two assists, while helping hold opponents to just seven goals all season.  Also back in the mix for LC this season is 2004 ODAC Freshman-of-the-Year Lauren Askey who played in all 24 games for the Hornets and scored eight goals.  Five of Askey’s goals were of the game-winning variety, including her strike that lifted LC past W&L in the ODAC finals.

 

The Marlins of Virginia Wesleyan finished second in the poll with the remaining three first-place votes and a total of 123 points. VWC ended last season with an overall record of 15-3-2 and a 10-1-0 mark in league play.  Head Coach Jeff Bowers welcomes back Second-Team All-ODAC selections defender Courtney Benitez, midfielder Danielle Burns and midfielder Kelly Donnelly.

 

The Generals of Washington and Lee are in the third spot in the poll with 101 points.  W&L advanced to the ODAC championship game after posting a 12-4-3 overall record and going 8-2-1 in the ODAC.  Back for the Generals this season is First-Team All-ODAC honorees midfielder Maggie Megear, forward Annie Wiltshire, midfielder Gina Von Sternberg, and defender Heather Rogers.

 

Guilford came in fourth-place with 100 points followed by Randolph-Macon (96 points), Roanoke (94 points), Eastern Mennonite (62 points), Randolph-Macon Woman’s College (54 points), Bridgewater (53 points), Sweet Briar (35 points), Emory and Henry (33 points) and Hollins (15 points).

                                                               


2005 ODAC Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll

Place                                                  Points

1.     Lynchburg                                   140 (9)

2.     Virginia Wesleyan                       123 (3)

3.     Washington and Lee                   101

4.     Guilford                                       100

5.     Randolph-Macon                         96

6.     Roanoke                                      94

7.     Eastern Mennonite                      62

8.     Randolph-Macon Woman’s         54

9.     Bridgewater                                53

10.   Sweet Briar                                 35

11.   Emory and Henry                        33

12.   Hollins                                          15

 

 

 

 

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