Undefeated VWC Earns Top Spot

SALEM, Va. --- Virginia Wesleyan College enters the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Tournament as the top seed after finishing the conference regular season with a league-best record of 10-0-1.  Roanoke College occupies the second seed while Washington & Lee University sits in the third spot.  Lynchburg College maintains the final home-field slot as the fourth seed.

Guilford College and Eastern Mennonite University enter the tourney as the fifth and sixth seeds, respective, and Randolph-Macon College and Bridgewater College round out the eight-team tourney as the seventh and eighth seeds.

The Marlins (13-1-3, 10-0-1) return to the ODAC tournament as last year's champion.  Their 2006 campaign ended after falling to Wheaton College (Ill.) 2-0 in the NCAA Semifinals.  VWC sat near the top of the conference this year in several statistical categories including team points per game (10.06), goals per game (3.76), assists per game (2.53) and shutouts (12).  The Marlins' attack is extremely balanced with 10 players boasting at least 10 points on the season.  Courtney Whorten (21 points) and Laura Jackson (17 points) head up the group.  Goalkeeper Lindsey Williams started 16-of-17 games for the Marlins, posting a 0.59 goals against average.

Roanoke College finished the 2007 regular season with a 10-1 ODAC record and a 15-2-1 overall record.  Some Maroon team stats to take note of include team shots per game (23.06), goals allowed per game (0.88), and goals against average (.86).  Meredith Grunewald (25 points) and Kristen McCoy (23 points) both ranked among the league's top scorers.

Washington & Lee (15-3-0, 9-2-0) was near the top of the conference in a number of categories including shots per game (24.11), goals per game (3.67), and goals against average (0.49).  Striker Anne Van Devender finished second in the ODAC with 38 points on 14 goals and 10 assists.  Goalkeeper Kiki Moreo let only nine shots past her into the net, good enough for a 0.63 goals against average.

Lynchburg (14-3-2, 8-2-1) brings one of the stingiest defenses to the table, giving up only five goals all season (three in the ODAC).  Goalkeeper Jackie Bader holds the league's top goals against average at 0.28 (four goals allowed).  Keep in mind that the Hornets are also home to the ODAC's leading scorer in striker Betsy Kwiatkowski (47 points on 20 goals, 7 assists).

For more information on the upcoming tournament, see the pairings below and visit the ODAC on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.

ODAC WOMEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS

Quarterfinals - Saturday, October 27
Quarterfinal 1: #8 Bridgewater (8-10-0, 4-7-0) at #1 Va. Wesleyan (13-1-3, 10-0-1) - 4:30pm
Quarterfinal 2: #5 Guilford (7-11-0, 7-4-0) at #4 Lynchburg (14-3-2, 8-2-1) - 2:00pm
Quarterfinal 3: #7 Randolph-Macon (9-8-0, 5-6-0) at #2 Roanoke (15-2-1, 10-1-0) - 4:30pm
Quarterfinal 4: #6 Eastern Mennonite (9-6-2, 6-5-0) at #3 Wash & Lee (15-3-0, 9-2-0) -
2:00pm

Semifinals - Wednesday, October 31
at Two Highest Remaining Seeds

Championship - Saturday, November 3
at Highest Remaining Seed