Possible Rematch with Messiah in Second Round

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- Lynchburg College is headed back to Christopher Newport University as the Hornets learned their bracket position in the upcoming NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament on Monday morning.  A victory in Wednesday's opening round would setup a rematch with top-ranked Messiah College, which earned a bye into the second round.

Lynchburg (16-3) earned its spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament as the ODAC's automatic qualifier following its 2-0 triumph over Randolph-Macon College in the conference championship game.  The Hornets are one of 16 teams to earn their place via automatic qualification.  The remaining eight schools in the 24-team field came in the form of two Pool B (independent) and six Pool C (overall at-large) bids.

The Hornets, ranked 11th in the November 2 national poll by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA - www.nfhca.org), fell victim to a 61st minute goal in their 1-0 loss to CNU in mid-September.  Ranked 10th in the latest NFHCA poll, the Captains out-shot the Hornets, 21-16.

Four days later, Lynchburg regrouped and took down top-ranked Messiah, 2-1, serving the Falcons one of just two losses they'd experience so far this season.  Lynchburg went down 1-0 just three minutes into the game, with more than an hour passing before LC netted an equalizer.  Lindsay Leonard knotted the game in the 67th minute to force overtime.  Leonard struck again at the 81:38 mark, depositing her second unassisted goal to secure the 2-1 win.

Game time for Wednesday's opening round contest at Christopher Newport has yet to be determined.  For more information on the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament, click on any of the links below.  For more on Lynchburg field hockey, visit the Hornets' website at www.lynchburg.edu, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com. 

NCAA Tournament Links
Tournament Home
Official NCAA Release
Tournament Bracket (.pdf)
Interactive Bracket (not yet available)