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All-American Ashley Hoath. Ashley Hoath scored 18 goals as a junior, including a hat trick in a 3-2 come-from-behind win in the conference title game over Virginia Wesleyan College. Ashley will be joined on the pitch by younger sisters Beverly Hoath and newcomer Shelley Hoath. Beverly shined as a freshman, earning conference Rookie of the Year laurels, while the youngest Hoath is expected to contribute as well. In the backfield, Lynchburg will employ a consistent group of experienced performers in Katelyn LeRiche, Cecilia Moore, and Fallon Page. Goalkeepers Jackie Bader and Anna Wright will form a strong 1-2 tandem in goal as head mentor Dr. Todd Olsen looks to lead the Hornets to their eighth conference title since 1999. Lynchburg is playing one of the hardest schedules in school history this campaign, as this season’s slate is highlighted by non- conference road games with No. 4 William Smith (NY) College, No. 6 Johns Hopkins University, and conference foe No. 12 Virginia Wesleyan. LC’s toughest challenge though may come on Sept. 19 on Shellenberger Field as the Hornets host D-III defending champion and pre-season No.1 Messiah (PA) College. 2009 Season Preview The Lynchburg College women’s soccer team was picked 10th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA)/ adidas Pre-Season Poll. The No. 10 Hornets are coming off one of the best seasons in school history as the team went 21-1-3, making it to the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament. The Hornets look to continue their run of success in 2009 with their sights set on another ODAC title and a deep NCAA Tournament run. The reigning ODAC champions lost only one player off of last year’s team and return all 11 starters to the field this season. Betsy Kwiatkowski enters her junior season as one of the premier players in all of Division III soccer. Kwiatkowski paced the conference in points (54) and assists (18) and was also tied for second league-wide with 18 goals. Her 18 assists also established a new LC single- season record, beating the previous record of 14. Joining her up top will be fellow junior Katie Santos, the ODAC’s leading striker from a year ago with 24 goals . Returning to the midfield will be 2008 ODAC Player of the Year and Third Team Dr. Todd Olsen Head Coach Entering his 16th season at Lynchburg College, Dr. Todd Olsen has built a peren- nial conference and regional powerhouse and a consistent NCAA postseason tourna- ment participant. Since his arrival, the Hornets have posted 14 winning campaigns and have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in nine of the past 11 seasons, including the school’s first-ever NCAA soccer tourna- ment win for either men or women, and a final eight trip in 2001 and 2007. LC has also made final 16 appearances in back-to-back campaigns. During his tenure, the team has compiled a 230-71-27 (74%) record. Also during that time, the squad has produced 44 all-region, 54 all-state, 104 All-Old Dominion Athletic Con- ference (ODAC) and eight NCAA All-Americans. Olsen has been very active in his pursuit of soccer education. He earned his national coaching diploma at Notre Dame in 1995 and his advanced diploma at Colorado College in 1996 from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). He has served as a Select Team evaluator and coaching consultant in Vir- ginia and Pennsylvania and is also an evaluator with the Olympic Development Program (ODP). He is currently coaching an U-15 premier select women’s team in Lynchburg. A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Olsen received his bachelor’s degree in 1985 from Slippery Rock University, where he was a two-time academic all-America selection. After graduation, Ol- sen traveled to England and attended Loughborough University. There, he would earn his master’s degree in 1987 after com- pleting a comprehensive soccer coaching regiment. In 1992, Olsen rounded out his academic career with a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. Olsen also serves as a full-time faculty member in the de- partment of health science and human performance. Among his courses are those which focus on exercise science and health science. Women’s Soccer History Lynchburg College established the women’s soccer pro- gram in 1987. Dr. James Koger was selected as the first head coach and proved to be a sucessful hire, garnering the ODAC Coach of the Year award in the team’s inaugural campaign. In his seven years on the sidelines, Dr. Koger had one All-Region performer, five All-State athletes, and 13 All-ODAC players, including four-time All-ODACer Johna Devin. In 1994, LC hired the school’s second-ever and current head coach, Dr. Todd Olsen. Dr. Olsen proceeded to turn the women’s soccer team into not only one of the best in the ODAC and Region, but also one of the best nationally, consistently ranking in the Top 25 year after year. In his 15 years heading the program, he has posted 14 winning seasons with a record of 230-71-27 and an ODAC record of 112-24-14. Dr. Olsen won the team’s first ODAC Championship in 1997. The 1997 squad toppled Randolph-Macon College, who had won the last six ODAC championships, by a score of 1-0 in what proved to be an all-time classic. The Hornets went on to win three of the next four ODAC championships from 1998- 2001 and has won four of the last five ODAC titles. In total, Dr. Olsen has guided the team to eight ODAC titles and nine NCAA Tournaments. In his time at LC, no other school has won more than three ODAC titles. His squads have been to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament twice and made the Sweet 16 on four occassions. Additionally, LC teams under the tutelage of Dr. Olsen have posted have posted six seasons with an undefeated record in ODAC play, far surpassing the compe- tition yet again. The Dr. Olsen era has not only been a witness to great teams, but also some of the best players to ever step on the field for LC. In total, eight players have garnered All-American honors - including two-time All-Americans Kristen Kowit and Kim Vaughan. Forty-four players have earned All-Region hon- ors, and the team has produced an All-Region athlete in all but one season since the hiring of Dr. Olsen, who was named Region Coach of the Year in 1999. Five players have received the All-State Player of the Year honors, and two earned All-State Rookie of the Year. Addition- ally, Dr. Olsen has recruited four ODAC Players of the Year and two ODAC Rookies of the year and three ODAC Scholar Athletes of the Year. Dr. Olsen has been duely honored by his coaching peers for his coaching excellence, as he has been tabbed as the ODAC Coach of the Year on five separate occassions. Betsy Kwiatkowski Ashley Hoath Katelyn LeRiche Beverly Hoath
