Lynchburg, Va. -- In a thrilling 2-1 victory,
Keaton Napior netted a brace to help the University of Lynchburg men's soccer team earn a come-from-behind win against Washington and Lee to secure the program's 20th ODAC Championship title on Saturday night at Shellenberger Field.
The Hornets rallied in impressive fashion on Saturday evening, with both goals coming in the second half to earn the victory over the Generals. The win caps a disciplined performance to claim the ODAC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Washington & Lee struck first in the 6th minute, converting on a finish from Willy Hall off a setup by Nick Apostolou. Despite the early setback, Lynchburg settled in and generated consistent pressure throughout the half, out-shooting the visitors 5-4 over the final 40 minutes of the opening frame.
Thomas Viscuso kept the deficit at one with two key saves, including a stop on an attempt from Jack Travis in the 9th minute and another on Taha Kaba in the 24th.
The Hornets took control immediately after halftime, commanding possession in the ending frame. In the 51st minute,
Evan Pask took a set piece from outside the box and found the head of Napior, who dove with aggression to put through the equalizer and swing momentum squarely toward Lynchburg. Less than three minutes later, Napior struck again. After a few ricochets in front of the opposing goal, Napior handled it on the left post and fired it to the far side to give the Hornets a 2-1 lead in the 53rd minute. The brace brought Napior's shot total to three on the night, with two on frame.
Lynchburg's defense tightened as the match progressed, allowing just one second-half shot and no shots on goal after the break. The Hornets also generated four shots of their own in the second half and earned two corners during sustained stretches of possession. Strong minutes from the midfield group including
Saul Lopez Coreas,
Matthew Viscuso, and a deep rotation of substitutes helped Lynchburg control tempo and close out the match.
Viscuso finished with two saves, and Lynchburg ended the night with a 9-7 shot advantage while matching WLU in fouls at 14. Both Viscuso brothers earned a spot on the ODAC All-Tournament team alongside Napior and
Benjamin Velasquez.
Lynchburg's composure and second-half execution proved decisive as the Hornets secured the comeback win at home for the team's 31st overall conference championship, 20th ODAC title, and fourth ODAC championship since 2020. The Hornets now await their destiny in the NCAA tournament, which will be released this coming Monday, Nov. 10.
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