LYNCHBURG, Va. – The No. 11 Shenandoah University field hockey team claimed the ODAC regular season championship with a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory over No. 13 Lynchburg. The Hornets (16-2, 8-0 ODAC) secured their perfect conference record thanks to an early goal by Camryn DeLeva and a game-winning overtime strike from Farren Winter.
Shenandoah took an early lead just five minutes into the first quarter when DeLeva scored off a penalty corner, assisted by Winter. The Hornets held onto their lead throughout the first half, despite pressure from Lynchburg, who had the advantage in both shots (15-9) and penalty corners (10-4). Goalkeeper Taylor Swann kept Shenandoah in the game with a season-high 12 saves, including key stops that thwarted Lynchburg's offense.
Lynchburg equalized late in the third quarter with a goal off their own penalty corner, sending the game into a tense overtime. In the extra period, after defending multiple Lynchburg corners, Shenandoah took control on a fast break. Madison Short defended the final corner, regaining possession and sparking a swift counterattack. Elise Velasquez connected with DeLeva, who then found Short, setting up a breakaway opportunity for Kaitlyn Nakamura. Her pass across the goal mouth reached a wide-open Winter, who buried the shot to seal the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Shenandoah came out strong, generating a penalty corner within the first minute of play. Winter's initial shot was saved, but DeLeva capitalized on Shenandoah's next corner to give the team an early 1-0 lead. Swann made several impressive saves to maintain Shenandoah's advantage going into halftime.
In the third quarter, Lynchburg leveled the score with a goal off a corner, despite Swann's initial save. After a quiet fourth quarter, the teams headed to overtime. Lynchburg's offensive pressure continued, but Shenandoah's defense held firm, and Winter's decisive goal ended the match.
UP NEXT
With the regular season title secured, the Hornets now enter the ODAC tournament as the top seed and will enjoy a first-round bye. They will host the winner of the quarterfinal match up between No. 4 Washington and Lee and No. 5 Virginia Wesleyan on Thursday night at Aikens Stadium. The start time will be announced.
#GoSUHornets
