LYNCHBURG, Va. --- The top-seeded Lynchburg College field hockey team scored two goals in the first eight minutes of the game as it defeated Washington and Lee University 5-1 on Wednesday.  With the victory, LC advances to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) tournament finals once again, looking for its ninth-straight championship.

Less than three minutes had passed since the National Anthem before the Hornets earned their first penalty corner.  Shortly after, Kelsey Link had a shot stopped by Megan Axelrod, but Link sent home the rebound to give LC the 1-0 lead, with Karissa LeMaire getting the assist.  At 6:36, Lynchburg once again earned another corner.  After keeping the pressure on the Generals, Courtney Gillette ripped a shot from outside the arc.  Taylor Quillen deflected it in the cage to give LC the two-goal advantage.

At 10:40, Washington and Lee halved the score as Lindsey Purpura deflected in a shot by Allie Berry.  The Hornets then went back on the offensive, forcing Axelrod into five more saves over the next 13 minutes.  Beka Hess was only called into action to make one stop during that same period for Lynchburg.

W&L made another charge shortly after, putting pressure on the LC defense and Hess, with two shots being sent away by the Hornets keeper, and a third being blocked.  After the block, Lynchburg countered with a breakaway, where Quillen finished off a pass from Lacey Elliot, restoring the two-goal advantage.

Lynchburg would not be done in the half.  Morgan Lammando converted a Quillen-penalty corner with 11 seconds remaining on the clock, giving LC the 4-1 lead at the break.

LC came out of the intermission on the attack, keeping the ball in the Generals zone for long stretches of play.  Gillette, Kayla Krause, and Link all registered shots on goal, but Axelrod prevented them from going in.

The Hornets defense did a stellar job throughout, with it being even more pronounced in the last period.  W&L did not register a shot until nearly 20 minutes had passed in the second stanza, with it being blocked on the way in.

Lynchburg finally notched its only tally of the second at the 63:34 mark, as Elaine Ritschard scored off an assist by Krause, to seal the 5-1 victory.

Axelrod made 10 saves for the Generals in the loss, as Washington and Lee completes its season with an overall record of 11-8.

The Hornets (14-6 overall) will host the ODAC Championship game this Saturday.  LC will play the winner of the Shenandoah University at Bridgewater College contest, with a time to be determined.

--- This release is courtesy of the Lynchburg College sports information department. ---
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