Lynchburg, Va. -- University of Lynchburg men's soccer took another step towards defending their conference championship with a 4-0 victory over Shenandoah Saturday afternoon.

Lynchburg (13-4-1), the second-seeded team in the playoffs, won a fourth-straight match in Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship play dating back to Apr. 3, 2021. 

Shenandoah outpossed Lynchburg early on, but the home team earned a few chances on long passes up the pitch. Luke Mega and Brennan Lagana each took shots on the breakout opportunities. 

Despite Shenandoah's control of possession for most of the early going, Lynchburg's defense stalled out the visitors. Shenandoah's only shot on goal came after a foul just across midfield. Logan Whited took a long shot off the free kick, but Justin Ennis made the save. 

In the 19th minute, Lynchburg took over the match. Manzi Shalita blasted a shot, but his attempt was saved. However, Mega was there to clean up the rebound and give the Hornets a 1-0 advantage.

Lynchburg padded the lead 23:38 later when Liam Lovell lined up for a corner. He sent his cross towards the near-post and Carter Averette kicked up his heel and redirected Lovell's pass into the net. 

Coming out of halftime with a 2-0 lead, Mega kept hunting for more goals. He sprung into the air and connected on a header 1:51 after the break, but his shot sailed high. In the 65th minute, he settled a pass from Griffin Phillips in front of the goal with two defenders on him and his back to the net. He evaded the defense, turned, and converted his second score of the game. 

Mega secured his first-collegiate hat trick 3:12 later. Dribbling across the box, he streaked past a few defenders and found the back of the net for the first hat trick in Lynchburg ODAC playoff history since at least 2010. 

Four cautions were assessed after Mega's third goal, but Lynchburg weathered the physical end of the match and secured a trip to the ODAC semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 3.

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--LYN--