FOREST, Va. --- ODAC field hockey returns to its traditional fall setup following the first spring season in league history a few months ago. In addition to the calendar, familiarity greets fans with the University of Lynchburg featuring at the top of the 2021-22 ODAC Field Hockey Preseason Poll.

Lynchburg earned seven first place votes from league coaches on the way to a chart-topping 63 points. Washington and Lee University collected the remaining two top nods to sit second with 54 tallies. Hot on the Generals' heels is Shenandoah University with the Hornets earning 53 markers.

In the sections below, we look back to what we saw during the spring season and take a look at what to expect entering the new campaign. Be sure to check out the capsules at the bottom of this page for a more targeted view at each squad entering the fall.

2021 SPRING ODAC TOURNAMENT | BRACKET

• Top-seeded Lynchburg and #2 Washignton and Lee met for the conference championship; both teams received bye thru the quarterfinal round in the ODAC's six-team framework
• Lynchburg trailed #3 Shenandoah, 4-2, with nearly 45 minutes gone in the semifinals, but two late goals forced overtime and setup Jackie Lerro's winner in the 69th minute for a 5-4 triumph to advance to the ODAC final
• #4 Roanoke took a 1-0 lead just 1:40 into the contest against W&L in the second semifinal, but goals by Grace Amaden and Tess Muneses just five minutes apart late in the fourth quarter propelled the Generals to their first ODAC final since winning the league crown in 2017
• Lynchburg got two fourth quarter goals from Emily Yanes to add to the one scored by Brittany Claybaugh in the second frame on the way to a 3-1 win over W&L in the conference championship game
• The win marked a third straight title for the Hornets and the 21st in program history

PRESEASON INTERVIEWS
Head coaches from the top three teams in the ODAC Field Hockey Preseason Poll joined the ODAC for interviews entering the 2021 fall season.

RETURNING STATISTICAL LEADERS
The athletes listed below represent the top-three returning statistical leaders for each category from the 2021 spring season.
Save Pct./GAA Minimums | 33% of team goalkeeper minutes played

• Points | 30 - Kelsey Jones, SU; 28 - Jackie Lerro, LYN; 19 - Emily Dudley, LYN/Emilee Wooten, RC
• Goals | 12 - Kelsey Jones, SU; 11 - Jackie Lerro, LYN; 8 - Emily Dudley, LYN
• Assists | 7 - Tess Muneses, W&L/Emma Strouse, LYN/Emilee Wooten, RC
• Defensive Saves | 8 - Brandy Troutman, EMU; 7 - Cassidy Armstrong, EMU; 5 - Rachel Breslin, EMU/Claire Ashley, BC
• GK Saves | 91 - Maura Bridges, VWU; 80 - Brooke Hamm, BC; 69 - Gatlin Snyder, R-MC
• Save Pct. | .802 - Gatlin Snyder, R-MC; .755 - Sara Amil, W&L; .727 - Hannah Roerden, RC
• Goals Against Avg. | 1.23 - Sara Amil, W&L; 1.36 - Hannah Roerden, RC; 2.21 - Gatlin Snyder, R-MC

RETURNING ALL-ODAC TALENT | 2020-21 ALL-ODAC FIELD HOCKEY AWARDS
The 2021 fall season features 25-of-33 All-ODAC honorees from the 2021 spring campaign plus four winners of major individual honors. Below we take a look at those returning to league rosters.

   FORWARDS

• Maria-Teresa Ambrogi-Torres, R-MC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Brittany Claybaugh, LYN -- All-ODAC Third Team
• Emily Dudley, LYN -- All-ODAC Third Team
• Skylar Hedgepeth, RC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Martha Hurley, RC -- All-ODAC Third Team
• Jacke Lerro, LYN -- All-ODAC First Team
• Cassidy Morrison, SU -- All-ODAC Third Team
• Freddie Tobeason, W&L -- All-ODAC Third Team
• Grace Weise, W&L -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Emilee Wooten, RC -- All-ODAC First Team

   MIDFIELDERS

• Kailey Fitzgerald, W&L -- All-ODAC First Team
• Kelsey Jones, SU -- All-ODAC First Team - Offensive POY
• Tess Muneses, W&L -- All-ODAC First Team
• Stella Noels, W&L -- All-ODAC Third Team
• Kessa Romero, LYN -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Emma Strouse, LYN -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Farren Winter, SU -- All-ODAC Second Team - ROY

   DEFENDERS

• Claire Ashley, BC -- All-ODAC Third Team
• Sydney Duimstra, R-MC -- All-ODAC Third Team
• Haleigh Horne, FC -- All-ODAC Third Team
• Brandy Troutman, EMU -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Kylee Tuebner, SU -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Alexis Wright, RC -- All-ODAC Second Team

   GOALKEEPERS

• Sara Amil, W&L -- All-ODAC First Team - Defensive POY
• Gatlin Snyder, R-MC -- All-ODAC Second Team

THE SCHEDULE AND TOURNAMENT

• The nine-team ODAC contingent will play a full eight-game round-robin conference schedule to each team's non-conference schedule.
• The top-six teams in the ODAC standings will qualify for the ODAC Tournament with the winner of the tournament earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
• This year's ODAC Tournament will feature quarterfinal play at the #3 and #4 seeds on Tuesday, November 2, followed by the semifinals on Thursday, November 4, at the #1 and #2 seeds. The ODAC championship will be played at the highest remaining seed on Saturday, November 6.
• The NCAA Tournament field will be selected on Sunday, November 7, with first round play beginning on Wednesday, November 10. The national semifinals and championship are set for November 20-21 at Robin Sheppard Field in Hartford, Conn.

For more information on ODAC field hockey, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.