Lynchburg, Va. -- The University of Lynchburg men's soccer squad propelled its way to victory and into the semifinal round of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships by defeating Eastern Mennonite, 2-0, on Saturday evening at Shellenberger Field.
The No. 24 Hornets improved upon their last meeting against the Royals, burying two of its 15 shots in the contest. Graduate
Manzi Shalita struck first in the 14th minute on a quick counterattack.
After redshirt freshman
Evan Pask poached the ball in the defensive third, he and sophomore Chirs Wiley dished it back-and-forth to push the ball upfield. Pask sent the ball down the wing to Shalita, who secured the pass, cut past his defender inside, and fired it into the bottom right corner. The Fairfax, Va. native netted his third goal in as many games to put the Hornets ahead by one, an advantage they would keep through the first half.
Following the halftime intermission, Lynchburg acted quickly to extend its lead as Wiley bagged one in the 47th minute. Junior captain
Benjamin Velasquez sent a cross into a crowded box that bounced around multiple heads before finding the back of the net. After the rock landed into a sea of bodies, it found the noggin of junior
Keaton Napior on one side of the woodwork. Napior nodded the ball across the frame to Wiley, who elevated over a defender and banged it into the top bins.
The top defensive unit in the ODAC this season displayed its prowess by holding the Royals to just three shots all contest. The .563 goals allowed average this season that the backline boasts is the best in the conference and 11th in Division III.
Top-seeded Lynchburg earned the right to continue on in the ODAC postseason. Next up is a semifinal matchup against 4-seed Hampden-Sydney on Wednesday, November 6 at 7 p.m. on Shellenberger Field.
To purchase tickets for the ODAC semifinals,
click here.
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