Lexington, Va. -- The University of Lynchburg men's soccer team won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship Sunday afternoon! It is the program's third conference title in four years. 

Zach Whelan scored the first and third goals of the match in the 3-1 win as the Hornets secured their 19th title in program history. Whelan was named the tournament's most outstanding player for his efforts after also scoring the game-winner in overtime of the semifinals on Wednesday.  

With the win, the Hornets earned the ODAC's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. The Hornets will learn their opponent during the selection show on Monday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.

The Generals earned the first scoring opportunities of the first half getting two shots off in the first 10 minutes. Lynchburg's first chance came off the boot of freshman Ayden Cass, but he sent his attempt just right as he came up from his defensive position to take the shot. 

Thomas Viscuso was the first goalkeeper to be tested, but he made his first save of the match in the 10th minute. 

After a free kick, Manzi Shalita took the ball down the near sideline and settled it in front of the corner flag. He deked a defender towards the open field and pulled the ball back towards the end line to create some space before sending a cross towards the far post. Whelan was there to connect on the other end and give Lynchburg a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute. 

Only 11 days after its worst loss since 2019 at the hands of Washington and Lee, Lynchburg found itself playing with a lead over the No. 1-seeded Generals. Washington and Lee defeated the Hornets 4-0 on Oct. 25 to clinch the top seed in the tournament and guarantee home-field advantage throughout. 

Despite playing an hour north of Shellenberger Field, a large, supportive crowd of Lynchburg fans made the voyage to cheer the Hornets on in the championship. 

Liam Lovell tested Washington and Lee's keeper early on in the second half, but his shot was saved. An hour into the match, Lynchburg still led 1-0. 

However, during a promising buildup in Lynchburg's attacking third, a costly turnover by Lynchburg opened up a dangerous Generals counter attack. 

Weyimi Agbeyegbe took the ball across the center line drawing the attention of two Lynchburg defenders. On the back side of the play, Buster Couhig was wide open, and Agbeyegbe found him for the equalizer in the 62nd minute. 

Shalita subbed off for 10 minutes, but once he came back on in the 76th minute, he almost immediately left an indelible mark on the match. Moments after subbing back onto the pitch, Shalita sliced through the center of the field and finished with his left foot and put Lynchburg back on top. 

After his teammates finished swarming him at the near corner flag, there was still work to be done in order to close out the road win. 

The Generals heightened their attack and earned a free kick just in front of the box after a Lynchburg yellow card. Five Generals stood over the ball for the free kick. The front four all dispersed in different directions as a diversion to open the set piece, and W&L's Grant McCarty stayed behind to take the shot. Viscuso, with the sun in his eyes, jumped up to punch the ball over the crossbar and make the crucial save. 

After thwarting Washington and Lee's ensuing corner kick, the Hornets went back on the offensive. Lovell won his matchup across midfield in front of the Lynchburg bench and played the ball backwards to the center of the field. Whelan was there, making his run at the heart of the goal, and one timed Lovell's rolling pass into the net. 

Whelan's second of the day and third of the postseason clinched Lynchburg's 3-1 victory over the Generals. 

Shalita, Benjamin Velasquez, and Carter Averette joined Whelan on the all-tournament team. 

Head coach Chris Yeager won his ninth ODAC trophy as the leader of the Hornets in his 20th season. 

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--LYN--