For immediate release – 5/8/2016 - #525
Hornet Lax Falls in ODAC Finals to W&L

SALEM, VA – The Lynchburg College men's lacrosse team's bid for its third-straight Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) title fell just short Sunday, as Washington & Lee University defeated the Hornets 10-7 in the conference title game played at Roanoke College.

W&L opened the scoring at 8:37, but LC countered with tallies from Ryan Kardux and Colin McGuire. The Generals tied the score with 58 seconds remaining in the first period, but Evan Lombardo found the back of the net eight seconds later and LC took a 3-2 lead after one period of action. The Generals netted two second-period goals, both assisted by A.J. Witherell, and took a 4-3 advantage into intermission.

Following a General score, Lombardo made it a 5-4 game with an assist from Dane Angell six minutes into the third quarter. Witherell and Lombardo each scored late in the third and the period ended with W&L ahead 6-5.

The Generals scored two goals in the first 16 seconds of the fourth period, both by face-off man Jack Clarke. An LC shot hit the post on the other end, and W&L capitalized with their third-straight tally. Jason Myers followed with a goal in transition to put Washington & Lee ahead 10-5. Austin Stewart scored to cut the lead to four and McGuire added a goal with 1:14 on the game clock to cut the deficit to 10-7. The Hornets had a shot hit the crossbar with 40 seconds to play and couldn't cut further into the lead.

LC out-shot the Generals 45-24 and won 12 of the game's 21 face-offs.

Lombardo had a hat trick for LC, while McGuire had two goals and an assist. Stewart and Kardux also scored, and Aaron Murphy, Jacob Fuller, Angell and Harrison Brennan had assists.

W&L (15-3) had nine different goal-scorers, with Clarke as the only player with more than one. Wyatt Devine made 11 saves in net.

McGuire, Murphy and Joe Vincent were named to the all-tournament team.   

Lynchburg (12-8) will look for an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The selection show is scheduled for tonight at 10 p.m. on NCAA.com.