Soccer Travels to Lynchburg Saturday for ODAC Championship Game at 7 p.m.
November 04, 2010
HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA - The Hampden-Sydney Tigers, the #7 seed in the ODAC Tournament, will continue their surprising run through the ODAC Tournament this Saturday as they travel to Lynchburg College to battle the top seeded Hornets in the Championship game at 7 p.m. LC is the reigning ODAC Champion and lead the conference in titles with 12. This is only the second-time H-SC has made it to the championship game. The tournament was instituted in 1989 and the Tigers lone appearance in the title game took place 16 years ago in 1994 when Roanoke defeated H-SC 2-0.
While Lynchburg has more ODAC titles than any other conference school, Hampden-Sydney has had much success with the Hornets. Since 1989, Hampden-Sydney has a record of 14-7-1 vs. the Hornets. However, Lynchburg is undefeated in the last four games, recorded a tie in 2008 and three wins in 2009 and 2010. Three of those four games have gone to overtime and all three wins have been by a score of 2-1. The two teams have met just twice in the ODAC Tournament. In 2001, The Tigers came out on top 3-0 but in the semi-finals last season, Lynchburg upended Hampden-Sydney 2-1.
On Wednesday, Hampden-Sydney defeated Washington & Lee 2-1 as the two teams met in the ODAC Tournament for the fourth straight season. After going down 1-0, the Tigers junior forwardBryan Wharton (Glen Allen, VA/Deep Run) and senior forward and Scotsman Andrew Berg (Aberdeen, Scotland/International School of Scotland) posted scores as H-SC held on for the 2-1 victory. Full Story and Stats
The Tigers feature a strong offense as well as a formidable defense, both of which are peaking late in the season. H-SC is averaging 1.9 goals a game while posting a 1.26 goals against average. However, in the current six-game undefeated streak, H-SC is averaging 2.83 goals per contest and has allowed just three goals along with three shutouts.
The offense is led by outstanding junior forward Wharton who is tops in the ODAC in points (28), goals (12), and shots (63) while also placing eighth in assists with four. Wharton has scored six goals and four assists in the last eight games for 16 points. Nick DeProspero (Midlothian, VA/Cosby)has been a top contributor as he leads the ODAC in assists with eight and also boasts 14 points to place eighth in the conference. DeProspero has posted four assists in the last six games and his ability to pass and create shots for others has been instrumental in the undefeated streak.
An underappreciated key in the offense down the stretch of the season has been sophomore midfielder Chris Whiteside (Virginia Beach, VA/Frank W. Cox). Inserted into the strating lineup for the Guilford game, his presence has added a quality goal scorer who is unselfish enough to make the right play for the benefit of the team. He had the first two goals of the game against Bridgewater to spur the team on the victory on Senior Day. Sophomore defender Curran Blackwell (Wilson, NC/Greenfield) is fourth on the team in points with 11, scoring five goals with one assist. His height, strength, and athleticism has made him a dangerous player on set pieces where the majority of his goals have come from.
Berg has stepped up his game tremendously as of late with three goals and one assist in the undefeated run, including the game-winning tally against W&L in the semi-finals. Freshman forwardBo Burns (Raleigh, NC/Leesville Road) has continuously improved throughout the season and his speed and skills has provided another player who can create strong goal scoring opportunities.
Perhaps the biggest reason for the strong play at this point in the season has been the defense. After some early season struggles, the defense has been on lockdown to fuel the run through the end of the regular season and into the ODAC Tournament. With three shutouts and just three goals allowed in the last six games, the Tiger defense has been as stingy as any defense in the entire conference.
Leading the backline is a mix of experience: Senior captain Sam Turner (Richmond, VA/Benedictine), junior Gregorio Pacheco (Montclair, NJ/Montclair), sophomore Blackwell, and freshman Jackson Parker (Raleigh, NC/Sanderson). This backline has been able break up many offensive possessions and counter attacks before they become dangerous, and even when the opposition does get a good goal scoring opportunity, this group has shown heady and experienced play by blocking the shot or clearing the ball without risking a foul in the box.
Even when a shot does slip through the defense, senior captain goalkeeper John Robert Plyler (Charlotte, NC/Myers Park) has been there to make the save. In the last six games, he has allowed only three goals for a goals against average of 0.48 while posting 31 saves for a save percentage of 91.2%. One of the greatest performances of his career occurred in the first round of the ODAC Tournament. After Roanoke scored on their first two penalty kicks in the shootout, Plyler saved the next two attempts and his staunch play forced a Roanoke player to send his fifth shout wide left of the goal post.
Lynchburg College has long been associated with excellence in both men's and women's soccer and that story is no different this year. With both soccer teams being #1 seeds in the ODAC Tournament, the men's team will look to do their part in nabbing back-to-back ODAC titles. Since the tournament format was instituted to determine the champion, back-to-back conference titles has only occurred three times with the last time happening in 2001 and 2002 with Roanoke College. Lynchburg also won the title in 2006, so this could mark the Hornets third title in five years.
Lynchburg has won eight of their last nine games with their lone set back happening in the regular season finale, which they dropped 2-1 to Guilford College. The Hornets dispatched Randolph-Macon 4-0 in the first round and sent Randolph College back home on Wednesday with a stunning 3-0 victory, a game many would have expected to be a close contest with Randolph potentially springing the upset.
While Lynchburg doesn't feature a premier goal scorer in the mold of a Wharton, the Hornets have gotten the job done admirably on the offensive end with a scoring by committee approach. Eight different players have two or more goals, 17 players have scored at least one goal, and 20 players have at least one point this fall. Michael Abbonizio and Donald Hart III each have six goals to lead the team while Abbonizio also is tops on the team in assists with four, giving him 16 points in 2010. Stephen Brooks checks in with nine points (4g, 1a) while Shane Spanninger also has nine (3g, 3a).
The defense has been LC's calling card this year and has been the biggest factor in their route to the ODAC Championship game. In 19 games, Lynchburg's defense has posted a phenomenal 10 shutouts and they have allowed more than one goal just three times all season, losing 2-0 in the opening game to Methodist, 3-0 to perennial national power York (Pa.), and 2-1 in a regular season finale upset against Guilford.
Leading the defensive unit is Hunter Smith, Zach Ward who also is one of the best players at throw-ins that one will find in the ODAC, Matthew Rowe, and Tony Dulak and Tyler Romano who have split starting duties this season. Romano, however, will not be available for the ODAC Championship match as he drew a red card in the semi-finals, garnering him an automatic suspension for the title game. Look for Dulak to step up into his spot. There will be little to no drop off with Dulak starting in place of Romano Dulak is arguably a better defender but doesn't provide the big 6'2" body on the offensive end like Romano does.
The Lynchburg goalkeeper is freshman Michael Releford. Releford has quickly established himself as a top ODAC goalie, he boasts a 0.52 goals against average with a 88.1% save percentage along with seven shutouts. He saw his first action in the second half of the Emory game on September 12 and has been the man in net the rest of the way. He started off without allowing a goal for the first 386:26 of his career before surrendering three goals to York (Pa.). His best game came at nationally ranked Salisbury where he recorded 11 saves in 110 minutes to preserve a double overtime scoreless tie and he also had eight saves in a 1-0 win over Virginia Wesleyan.
With each team sporting outstanding defenses, don't be surprised if the game ends up being a 1-0 decision or resulting in an overtime classic that could head to a shootout where it is anyone's game at that point.
