Virginia Beach, Va. – Two of Division III's premier defenses dazzled on Tuesday night as the University of Lynchburg women's soccer team concluded the 2026 regular season with a 0-0 draw against No. 14 Batten at the Tassos Paphites Soccer Complex.

With the draw, Lynchburg guaranteed a second-place finish in the ODAC regular-season standings and the chance to host two matches in the conference tournament.

Although Batten owned an 8-6 shot advantage, both teams claimed seven corner kicks. Six of Lynchburg's 11 starters played the full 90 minutes, including sophomore goalkeeper Julia Salo.

Neither team secured an attacking opportunity during the first seven minutes, while Lauren Orner and Ally Hopkins fired the Hornets' first shots on target. The Hornets created consistent chances on offense, though it caused little panic for a Marlins' backline that allowed just two goals throughout the entire season.

Knotted at the halftime break, the Hornets and the Marlins could not fully capture momentum in the second 45 minutes. Reigning ODAC Offensive Player of the Week Makayla Hargrove narrowly missed a header in the box to open the second half, while Batten secured the next three shots.

Despite an accelerated pace in the final minutes, neither team found a game winner to punctuate the season finale. Between the pipes, Salo gathered three saves and made several timely interventions on set pieces throughout the final 15 minutes.

Lynchburg ended its stellar regular season with a 14-2-2 overall record, with both losses coming against top-10 opponents. The Hornets ended the season with shutouts in 13 of their 18 matches, along with opening the season with an 8-0 record for the first time since 2014.

The Hornets will launch their postseason push on Saturday, Oct. 31 by hosting an ODAC Quarterfinal match. More details will follow upon the ODAC regular season's conclusion on Wednesday.

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--LYN--