Harrisonburg, Va. -- Senior forward Nikki Simpao (Stafford, Va.) had a career night, scoring five goals to go with two assists as University of Lynchburg's field hockey team cruised past Eastern Mennonite, 9-0, Monday night for an Old Dominion Athletic Conference win.

With her two assists, Simpao took sole possession of the program record with 46 career assists. She surpassed Jenny Weir's sum of 45, accrued between 2007-10.

Simpao also recorded career-highs in points (12) and goals (five) in the game.

Lynchburg also got a two-goal effort from sophomore forward Maggie Chiappazzi (Poquoson, Va.) and one-goal, one-assist games from senior midfielder Kayla Copeman (Williamsburg, Va.) and sophomore forward Jackie Lerro (Royersford, Pa.).

Goalkeepers Laurel Nicks (Yorktown, Va.), Hunter Wilson (Windsor, Va.), and Alex Boatwright (Fredericksburg, Va.) combined for the team's fourth shutout of the season.

The Hornets maintained a hold on first place in the ODAC standings and ran their win streak to five.

THE RUNDOWN

Final: Lynchburg 9, Eastern Mennonite 0

Records: Lynchburg (9-5, 4-0 ODAC), Eastern Mennonite (6-8, 0-4 ODAC)

Venue: EMU Turf Field, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Va.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Copeman gave the Hornets an early lead with her fifth-minute, unassisted goal.

• Simpao put the game away early with back-to-back unassisted goals in the 12th and 18th minutes. A minute later, Lerro scored on a Simpao assist to make it 4-0. Simpao polished off her first-half hat trick in the 28th minute on a goal assisted by freshman midfielder Madeline Stewart (Chesapeake, Va.).

• Chiappazzi brought the score to its 6-0 halftime standing, taking Copeman's feed and scoring in the 33rd minute.

• Simpao delivered Lynchburg's first two second-half goals, the second of which coming on a Lerro assist.

• Simpao assisted Chiappazzi's second goal of the evening in the 60th minute, delivering the record-breaking assist.

LOOKING AHEAD

Lynchburg will end its run of seven games in 15 days Wednesday, Oct. 17 with a trip to Ferrum. The 7 p.m. contest will be the first Old Dominion Athletic Conference game between the two programs.

--LYN--