ODAC Field Hockey News Archive

Shenandoah University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Doug Zipp announced Monday that Ashley Smeltzer has accepted the position of head women's field hockey coach. Smeltzer takes over the Shenandoah program after five years as an assistant coach at longtime D-III power University of Rochester. She is the third head coach in program history and takes over the team from Kim Iman-Bianchi.

Virginia Wesleyan College named Christina Restivo as its new field hockey head coach this week. The former University of Maryland standout goalkeeper was an assistant coach at Wake Forest University for the past six years. She is no stranger to postseason play, having won a pair of championships as a Terrapin (2005-06) and helping the Demon Deacons to the title game in 2008.

The Old Dominion Athletic Conference is pleased to announce the 2012 ODAC/StellarOne Sportsmanship Teams in each of seven fall sports sponsored by the conference. This marks the fourth year the league has recognized these fine student-athletes for their excellence in sportsmanship.

Lynchburg's Shelly Milks (pictured) earned recognition from a pair of outlets in annual postseason awards announcements. She was named a NFHCA First Team All-American and joined four of her teammates on the All-South Region Team. She was also tabbed the VaSID College Division Player of the Year, which also featured 14 other ODAC players and coaches.

The Hornets national title hopes came to an end Sunday afternoon, as fourth-ranked Lynchburg College was defeated, 3-0, by #3 The College of New Jersey in the quarterfinals of the 2011 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament, hosted by TCNJ. Lynchburg ends its season with a 19-2 record, with its only other loss coming in the season's first game in September.

There are only eight teams left in the 2011 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament, and fourth-ranked Lynchburg College is one of them. The Hornets defeated Catholic University, 2-0, in the second round of the tournament Saturday, hosted by the College of New Jersey. LC meets the Hornets on Sunday for a spot in the national semifinals.

Three student-athletes earned the conference's top awards in a vote of the ODAC Board of Directors at the annual league meetings earlier this week. W&L's Greg Kurkis was recognized as the Doc Jopson Award winner. BC's Christina Rhodes and W&L's Emmy Mathews will share the Marge Berkely Award., marking the first tie in Berkely Award history.

Seven student-athletes from Old Dominion Athletic Conference member schools earned a 2010 ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete Award during the fall athletic schedule. Farm Bureau Insurance is the proud presenter of each award for the ODAC's 22 sponsored sports.

Lynchburg College sophomore midfielder Shelly Milks (Gloucester, VA/Gloucester) was named a second-team NCAA All-American Monday by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. It is the third-straight season that a Hornet field hockey star achieved All-American status.

Eastern Mennonite University field hockey athlete, Karissa Sauder, is one of eight student-athletes from Old Dominion Athletic Conference member schools to earn a 2009 ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete Award during the fall athletic schedule. Sauder was tabbed from a pool of nominees by a vote of each of the conference’s sports information directors.

Eight student-athletes from Old Dominion Athletic Conference member schools to earn a 2009 ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete Award during the fall athletic schedule. Farm Bureau Insurance is the proud presenter of each award for the ODAC's 22 sponsored sports.

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Washington and Lee is working with groups across campus and within the community to assemble and send 500 care packages to soldiers in Afghanistan. Student athletes (above, from left) Chelsea Stevenson, Meredith Freeman and Jason Cimino help with the efforts

The USA Field Hockey National Training Center will host five of VWC’s nine home contests slated in September and October. The Marlins are making the move to the Training Center through a relationship between the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation department and VWC Head Coach Joyce Anne Koubaroulis.

Lynchburg field hockey saw its season come to an end on Saturday morning as Ursinus College topped the Hornets, 3-2, in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. LC finishes with an 18-6 overall record.

Lynchburg's Allie Weir and Eastern Mennonite's Alyssa Derstine were named Co-Players of the Year in All-ODAC Field Hockey voting. Lynchburg’s Enza Steele received the Coach of the Year award while fellow Hornet Kristina Morris was named the Rookie of the Year. EMU’s Kristina Landis took home the ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete award.

This year’s annual All-ODAC Field Hockey voting has ended and the All-ODAC teams and individual awards have been set. Washington & Lee’s Kendall Korte and Emily Mathews collected Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards, respectively. Eastern Mennonite’s Brenda Bechler collected the Coach of the Year honor and the Royals’ Kristina Landis was tabbed as the ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete award following a vote of the league’s sports information directors.

The ODAC Field Hockey Tournament championship game will have a familiar feel to it on Saturday, albeit at a new location. Top-seeded Eastern Mennonite University and #2 Lynchburg College both advanced on Wednesday evening, setting up a rematch of last season’s conference championship.

The Eastern Mennonite Royals enter the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Field Hockey Tournament as the #1 seed after finishing the conference regular season with a untarnished 7-0 ODAC record. Lynchburg College goes into the eight-team tourney as the #2 seed while Washington & Lee University sits in the third spot. Randolph-Macon College rounds out top four seeds.

Roanoke College Director of Athletics Scott Allison has named Lacey Pustizzi the college’s new field hockey coach. Pustizzi comes to the Salem, VA school from nearby Virginia Tech University where she is currently an assistant coach with the women’s lacrosse team. Pustizzi will begin her appointment with the college immediately.

Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) field hockey tournament champion Lynchburg College put four players on the league’s all-star first team list, but it was Washington & Lee University that took home the top individual honor of the season. General midfielder Kendall Korte led a pair from Lexington on the All-ODAC First Team as she was named the 2006 Player of the Year.

The Elizabethtown College field hockey team scored five minutes into the second half and held on for a 1-0 win Wednesday afternoon against Lynchburg College in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.