Salem, Va. -- Lynchburg College's field hockey team made use of three goals from freshman standout Jackie Lerro (Royersford, Pa.) to cinch up a 4-2 road victory over Roanoke College on Wednesday and, in the process, the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament.

The hat trick was Lerro's fourth of the season and her third in her last five contests.

Lynchburg enters the postseason winners of nine straight contests.

THE RUNDOWN

Final: Lynchburg 4, Roanoke 2

Records: Lynchburg (15-3, 6-1 ODAC), Roanoke (12-4, 4-2 ODAC)

Venue: Donald J. Kerr Stadium, Roanoke College, Salem, Va.

HOW IT HAPPENED

- Fresh off an honorable mention nod for NFCHA Player of the Week honors, Hornets junior Nikki Simpao (Stafford, Va.) put Lynchburg ahead early with a fifth-minute score.

- In the 20th minute, Simpao found Lerro in front of the cage, and the freshman finished for a 2-0 lead the Hornets would carry into halftime.

- After Roanoke scored early in the second half, Lerro provided the game-winner on an assist from Kayla Copeman (Williamsburg, Va.) in the 54th minute. She added an unassisted score 6 minutes later to pile up the hat trick.

- Laurel Nicks (Yorktown, Va.) made six saves minding the Lynchburg cage.


LOOKING AHEAD

Wednesday's game marked the end of regular-season play for the Hornets. They'll move into the ODAC semifinals Friday, Nov. 3 in Lexington, Va. as the second seed, awaiting the winner of the Oct. 31 matchup in Salem between No. 3 Roanoke and No. 6 Randolph-Macon.

--LC--