FOREST, Va. --- Conference champion University of Lynchburg collected a league-best eight all-conference awards and all four special honors went to individuals from different schools to headline the 2020-21 All-ODAC Men's Soccer Awards.

Randolph College forward Evan Blow garnered ODAC Player of the Year laurels, while Guilford College mentor Cory Speed was tabbed the ODAC Coach of the Year by his peers. Hampden-Sydney College midfielder Declan Shaw received ODAC Rookie of the Year recognition, and Lynchburg centerback Nick Foley earned ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete honors from the conference's athletic communications personnel.

This season's All-ODAC squads feature a good mix of new and familiar talent with 17 repeat honorees from the 2019 fall lists. Nine stars on this years All-ODAC First Team appear on an all-conference unit for at least a second straight season. Guilford forward Kenny Nzekwe, Lynchburg playmaker Luke Mega, and Washington and Lee centerback Jack Rawlins were each first teamers in 2019. Randolph-Macon College striker Penny Senior along with midfielder Ben Mackey and fullback Joey Daly from Lynchburg were All-ODAC Second Team picks. Randolph's Blow along with defenders Joe Carman from Roanoke and Erik Recke from W&L made the leap from the 2019 All-ODAC Third Team.

RELATED: 2019 All-ODAC Awards | All-Time All-Conference

Blow, a senior from Charlottesville, Va., was both prolific and clutch in spearheading the WildCats attack. Blow led the ODAC in points (23) and goals scored (11) in addition to shots (61) and game-winning goals (4). Three of those game-deciders came in one-goal contests. His 45th-minute tally was the lone goal in a win at Eastern Mennonite University on February 28. He scored twice in a 4-3 win over Roanoke on March 18, including the WildCats' final strike in the 78th minute to provide the difference against a late Maroons comeback effort. Blow's final winner came on March 25 at Bridgewater where his 47th minute goal proved the only score in a victory over the Eagles. Blow registered at least one point in eight of nine games played, including a career-high four goals in an 8-1 win over Emory & Henry to start the season.

Speed completed his fifth season guiding the Quakers in 2020-21. This is his first ODAC top coaching honor since taking hold of Guilford's reins in 2016. Speed saw this season's squad post a 6-3-2 record, the program's first .500 or better overall record since going 10-8 in 2012. The 2020-21 Quakers went 5-3 in league play on the way to the program's first ODAC championship game appearance. Their tournament run included a penalty kick advancement in the semifinals against Roanoke before falling to Lynchburg, 5-1, in the title game. Guilford enjoyed a six-game winning streak as part of a seven-game unbeaten run thru the tournament semifinals. Guilford's showing this season improved Speed's career record to 29-47-6 (.390).

Shaw, a first-year from Durham, N.C., stepped in and started nine of Hampden-Sydney's 10 games played from the middle of the park, pulling the strings for the Tigers in both connecting and leading their attack. He led H-SC with 12 points thanks to a team-best four goals to with four assists. Two of his goals proved game-winners in back-to-back 1-0 victories on the road at Lynchburg on March 21 and Ferrum on March 25. Shaw's efforts helped Hampden-Sydney post an 8-1-1 record and run their unbeaten streak to an ODAC record 23 games dating back to the final 14 games of 2019 before falling in the conference semifinals in overtime to Lynchburg.

Foley, a senior from Bassett, Va., pairs this honor with an All-ODAC Second Team selection. In the classroom, Foley maintains a 3.69 grade point average as a biology major. An All-ODAC Academic Team honoree as well as a member of Lynchburg's Dean's List, Foley earned Lynchburg's Mahan-Osborne Outstanding Senior in Biology Award. His senior project is entitled "Initiating Drug Discovery for Applications in Bacteriophage Treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infections."

On the field, the Hornets' centerback spearheaded a defense that allowed 13 goals in 12 games towards a 1.06 goals against average. He got forward to post five points on two goals and an assist. His assist came on Lynchburg's second goal in a 3-2 win over Randolph in the ODAC quarterfinals, while his second goal of the year was the Hornets' first marker in a 2-1 overtime win over Hampden-Sydney in the semifinals. Foley earned All-Tournament Team recognition for his performances in Lynchburg's title run.

Listed below are the 2020-21 All-ODAC Men's Soccer Awards.  For more information, visit any of the participating schools' websites, 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.

ODAC Player of the Year: Evan Blow, So., F, Randolph
ODAC Coach of the Year: Cory Speed, Guilford
ODAC Rookie of the Year: Declan Shaw, Fy., M, Hampden-Sydney
ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete: Nick Foley, Sr., D, Lynchburg