Randolph Tops Lynchburg 2-1, Heads to NCAA Tournament
LYNCHBURG, Va. --- The Randolph College
men’s soccer team, in only its fifth season of existence,
reached the top of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC)
Saturday earning its first ever conference crown with a 2-1 victory
over Lynchburg College in action from WildCat Stadium.
In a packed house with standing room only against their rivals from
across town, the WildCats (16-5) battled back for the third
consecutive game to score two goals after conceding the first of
the game. With the victory, the WildCats earn the ODAC’s
automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament which starts this week.
With over 1,000 people in attendance including many of the original
players to don the black and yellow, Randolph persevered after
Lynchburg College (7-9-4) jumped out on top after LC buried a
penalty kick. In the 24th minute, Ryan Renfro and Carter Smith
(Greensboro, NC/Grimsley) got tangled up in the box. The official
awarded the penalty, and LC’s Zach Rusk made no doubts with
his finish.
After the intermission break, the WildCats did what they have done
all season and that is respond with a fantastic half of soccer.
Randolph nearly tied the game in the 62nd minute, as Nick Cornell
(Front Royal, VA/Warren Co.) headed a shot towards goal by Hornet
senior Tyler Romano cleared the ball off the line.
Minutes later, Lynchburg keeper Michael Releford made one of the
most amazing saves you’ll ever see, stopping a point blank
shot from Joe Skaja (Yorktown, VA/Grafton) with a
one-handed, diving stop. The WildCats kept the pressure on and
netted the equalizer on another corner kick.
Cornell bent his left footed corner into the box,
where John Adams (Lynchburg, VA/E.C. Glass) put it into
the far left netting.The set piece goal was Randolph’s fourth
of the ODAC Tournament.
With 7:55 left in the game, Randolph scored the biggest goal in
program history, again on a corner kick. Cornell lofted a ball far
post and Will Wolf (Goldsboro, NC/Cardinal Gibbons)knocked it
in to give the ‘Cats a 2-1 lead. The defense would stand
strong and as time ticked down to zero the field was inundated with
hundreds of Randolph faithful.
“It’s unbelievable to be at this point,” said
head coach Bryan Waggoner. “I’ve got to give hars off
to my guys. Throughout the playoffs, we’ve gone down every
single game and it shows their heart and desire and the will to win
for the school. I know that was a big part if it they wanted to win
it for the school and bring that ODAC title here.
The WildCats outshot their opponents 16-10 including an 11-3 edge
in the second half. Randolph also scored on two of the six corner
kicks it took, while LC had three corners on the evening. Releford
made two saves on the evening, while Smith made four in the winning
effort.
The victory earns the first ODAC title in a NCAA sanctioned sport
since Randolph-Macon Woman’s College earned a women’s
tennis title in 1983.”They wanted it for each other,”
said Waggoner. “Us as coaches, all we can do is tell them the
path to take if you wanna get to this point. They’ve taken
that path and to see the fruits of their labor, I think it’s
really gonna help us moving forward.”
Randolph will now wait to see where it will head in the NCAA
Tournament. The selection show will be at 1 p.m. on Monday
afternoon on NCAA.com.
This release is courtesy of the Randolph College sports
information department.