Four Hornets Honored on South Atlantic Region Team
For immediate release - 12/10/2010 - #161
Four Hornets Honored on South Atlantic Region Team
SALEM, VA - Fresh off the best season in program history, four Lynchburg College student athletes were honored Friday with the release of the 2010 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer South Atlantic Region Team.
Senior defender Hunter Smith (Goode, VA/Jefferson Forest), the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Player of the Year, earned a spot on the first team after taking home second-team all-region honors last year. Smith started all 26 games and scored twice with one assist from his backfield position. He anchored an LC defense that allowed just 19 goals in 26 contests this season.
Senior forward Michael Abbonizio (Maple Glen, PA/Hatbro-Horsham) earned second-team accolades. A first-team All-ODAC selection, he led the team with eight goals and added four assists. Abbonizio scored the Hornets' goal in the NCAA Title game.
Senior defender Zach Ward (Haymarket, VA/Battlefield) and freshman goalie Michael Releford (Blacksburg, VA/Blacksburg) each were named to the third-team. Both players joined Smith to form one of the best defensive units in the region. Ward started all 26 games and tallied two goals and three assists, while Releford had an 0.64 goals-against average with 91 saves.
The Hornets finished the season 20-5-1, captured the ODAC regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Title game.