Lynchburg, Va. -- The University of Lynchburg men's soccer team continued its commanding start to the season with a stifling 9-0 victory over Averett on Saturday afternoon at Shellenberger Field.
The win moved the Hornets to 8-0-2 overall and 3-0 in ODAC action, while the Cougars fell to 2-5-3 overall and 0-2 in conference play. Lynchburg controlled possession from the opening whistle, breaking through in the 15th minute when
Izaack Cruz opened the scoring.
Just two minutes later,
Chris Wiley doubled the advantage off an assist from
Evan Pask, and he quickly followed with a penalty kick goal to make it a three-goal edge.
Sean DeLorenzo capped the first-half scoring in the 38th minute, finishing off a setup from
Saul Lopez Coreas to give the Hornets a 4-0 lead at halftime.
The second half brought more of the same relentless offense. Cruz tallied his second goal of the day in the 50th minute, and DeLorenzo completed his hat trick with back-to-back strikes in the 64th and 68th minutes, his first multi-goal match of the season.
Nicholas Fitzgerald added another in the 71st minute before
Agustin Paredes rounded out the scoring with a goal in the 86th minute assisted by
Audie Shaver.
In total, Lynchburg outshot Averett 30-2 and earned a 4-1 edge in corner kicks. Eleven different Hornets recorded either a goal or an assist in the balanced effort. Wiley and Cruz each netted two goals, while DeLorenzo's three led the way offensively. Goalkeepers
Thomas Viscuso,
Matthew Kopsidas, and
Stefan Kapitanov combined for the shutout as Lynchburg's defense held Averett without a shot on goal.
The Hornets will look to remain unbeaten as they travel back to Horizons Edge Sports Campus in Harrisonburg, Va. to take on Messiah on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m.
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