HARRISONBURG, VA - Freshman attack Katie Brennan (Manassas, VA/Osbourn Park) delivered the game's only goal with 10 minutes left Saturday to give the Lynchburg College field hockey team a 1-0 win over Eastern Mennonite University in the championship game of the 2007 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament. The Hornets have won back-to-back conference titles, and have captured 11 ODAC titles in program history.
Lynchburg, the tournament's second seed, held a 5-4 advantage in shots over the first 35 minutes of play, but the contest was scoreless heading into intermission. At the 59:36 mark, Brennan scored the game-winner on an assist from sophomore Erin Funkhouser (Natural Bridge, VA/Menchville) after a loose ball in front of the cage. The Hornets survived a late EMU rally, including a penalty corner with no time remaining, for the win.
Royal goalie Becky Nolt made four saves, while LC sophomore net-minder Sarah Cates (Wilmington, DE/Brandywine) made one stop. For the game, Lynchburg outshot EMU 13-9 and had a 7-5 edge in penalty corners.
The Hornet defense proved stout in the three-game run to the conference title. Lynchburg didn't allow a goal in the three tournament games, and held Virginia Wesleyan College, Washington & Lee University and EMU to just 18 combined shots and 10 penalty corners.
The win gives Lynchburg and head coach Enza Steele the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The brackets will be released late Sunday evening.
Following the contest the All-Tournament team members were announced. The full list of All-Conference award winners will be announced by the ODAC at a later time.
ODAC All-Tournament Team:
- Ashley Crouch from Randolph-Macon
- Becky Clark from Randolph-Macon
- Grace McGee from Washington & Lee
- Tara Rubenstein from Washington & Lee
- Lisa King from Eastern Mennonite
- Karissa Sauder from Eastern Mennonite
- Alyssa Derstine from Eastern Mennonite
- Samantha Marano from Lynchburg
- Jenny Weir from Lynchburg
- Allie Weir from Lynchburg
- Samantha Howard from Lynchburg (Tournament MVP)
