Newport News, Va. -- The University of Lynchburg field hockey team fell 2-1 to 14th-ranked Kena in the NCAA quarterfinals Sunday. 

It was Lynchburg's sixth trip to the NCAA quarterfinals and first since 2019. The Hornets made their 23rd appearance in the postseason tournament after winning their conference-best 22nd Old Dominion Athletic Conference. 

The Hornets earned a date with Kean after defeating No. 9 York (Pa.) on Saturday in overtime on a goal from Khanyisile Mzizi, the ODAC rookie of the year. 

The hero of the first half for Lynchburg was the ODAC player of the year Marlou Wendriks. With five minutes left in the second quarter, Kessa Shaffer found Wendriks for her 20th score of the season. 

Wendriks' score was the difference in a tightly-contested first half with the Hornets narrowly outshooting Kean 6-5. 

Lynchburg's lead only held for a minute out of the intermission as Kean knotted things back up in the 32nd minute. Kean took the lead 10 minutes later and never relinquished it. Both of Kean's goals came off penalty corners. 

Kayla Brady made one save in the fourth quarter to keep the Hornets alive, but Kean's keeper made three as the Hornets battled for the equalizer. 

Lynchburg earned two penalty corners late in the game, and Mzizi had a shot blocked with 30 seconds left, but Kean held on to advance to the NCAA semifinals. 

Lynchburg enjoyed a highly-successful season in legendary head coach Enza Steele's 45th and final season. Not only did the National Field Hockey Coaches Association hall of famer win her 22nd conference title, she also retires as the winningest head coach in Division III field hockey history with 666 wins. 

Visit Lynchburg athletics' home online, LynchburgSports.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news on all Hornets sports and coverage from the Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network.

Sign up here to receive Lynchburg Sports news in your email inbox. 

Give Lynchburg Sports a like on Facebook, and follow Lynchburg athletics on Instagram and X.

--LYN--