W&L Earns Top Seed in ODAC Women’s Soccer Tourney
Generals Lead Deep Field of Nationally, Regionally Ranked Teams
SALEM, Va. (10/25/06) -- The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) has a strong history of producing national-caliber women’s soccer programs, and to say that this season’s conference tournament field continues that tradition almost does not do the notion justice.
Washington and Lee University, ranked 16th in the nation and third in the region in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) polls, fills the top seed in the upcoming ODAC women’s soccer postseason tournament. The Generals (15-0-2 overall, 9-0-2 in the ODAC) are one of two squads included in that nation-wide listing and comprise only a third of the ODAC’s contingent in the South Region standings.
Guilford College (12-5-2, 9-1-1) sits just behind Washington and Lee as the tourney’s second seed, but comes in under the radar on the national, although the Quakers were previously ranked in the region in earlier polls. Guilford won a school-record nine ODAC victories in 2006, with its only blemishes being a 3-2 road loss to third-seeded Eastern Mennonite and a 0-0 overtime stalemate with the top-seeded Generals. The Quakers will take the field in the first round against Randolph-Macon who they defeated on October 8, 3-1.
Third-seeded Eastern Mennonite University (12-4-0, 9-2-0) enters the tournament fifth in the region, and fourth-seeded Virginia Wesleyan College (13-3-2, 8-1-2) joins the Generals on the national stage as the 24th rated team and sits one spot ahead of the Royals as the regionally fourth-rated squad.
The tournament’s depth doesn’t stop with the top four seeds as Roanoke College (11-5-1, 7-4-0) and Lynchburg College (10-5-3, 6-4-1) occupy the fifth and sixth seeds, respectively, with Randolph-Macon College (5-10-0, 4-6-0) and Emory & Henry College (9-9-0, 4-7-0) rounding out an extremely potent and dangerous eight-team field as the seventh and eight seeds, sequentially.
As strong as the field may be, the Generals come into the tournament as the favorite after finishing their regular season undefeated, allowing only a single goal in their second-to-last contest against Roanoke. Goalkeeper Kiko Moreo boasts a miniscule 0.08 goals against average and 11 shutouts as the last line of defense, both conference highs. As dominating as its defense may be, W&L’s offense is just as explosive after notching 74 goals on the season (54 in conference play). Striker Anne Van Devender finished second in the conference with 47 points on 18 goals and 11 assists.
Guilford benefits from the top scorer in the conference in forward Jennah Carter (above). Carter, the reigning ODAC Player of the Week, has found the back of the net 21 times this season while dishing out six assists.
The first round of the ODAC tournament is set to begin on Saturday, October 28. The pairings for those games are listed below with the higher seed serving as the home squad. The tournament continues with the semi-finals on Wednesday, November 1, and the championship on Saturday, November 4. The semi-finals will be hosted by the highest two remaining seeds, and championship will be played at the site of the highest remaining seed following the semi-finals.
ODAC Women’s Soccer Postseason Tournament
October 28 - November 1 - November 4
First Round – Saturday, October 28
#8 Emory & Henry at #1 Washington & Lee – 12:00 p.m.
#5 Roanoke at #4 Virginia Wesleyan – 3:30 p.m.
#6 Lynchburg at #3 Eastern Mennonite – 6:00 p.m.
#7 Randolph-Macon at #2 Guilford – 2:00 p.m.
* Game times may be tentative
-Story courtesy of Old Dominion Athletic Conference Sports Information.