Five Hornets Honored on All-State Men's Soccer Team

For immediate release - 12/20/2010 - #170
Five Hornets Honored on All-State Men's Soccer Team
Chris Yeager Named Coach of the Year

            BRIDGEWATER, VA - Five Lynchburg College student-athletes earned College Division Men's Soccer All-State honors Monday, as voted on by the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association. Hornet head mentor Chris Yeager was named the Coach of the Year and Michael Releford (Blacksburg, VA/Blacksburg) earned Rookie of the Year honors.

Yeager led the Hornets to their best season in school history which included ODAC regular season and tournament titles. He was named the ODAC and regional coach of the year. The Hornets made a strong run through the postseason and defeated four teams ranked in the Top 12 in the country to reach the national championship game. Lynchburg finished the year with a 20-5-1 overall record.

Senior defender Hunter Smith (pictured - Goode, VA/Jefferson Forest), senior forward Michael Abbonizio (Maple Glen, PA/Hatbro-Horsham) and Releford all earned first-team honors. Smith, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Player of the Year and a third-team All-American, 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.

Abbonizio, first-team All-ODAC selection, led the team with eight goals and added four assists. He scored the Hornets' goal in the NCAA Title game. Releford had an 0.64 goals-against average with 91 saves and was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player of the NCAA Tournament.

Senior defender Zach Ward (Haymarket, VA/Battlefield) and senior midfielder Cam smith (Goode, VA/Jefferson Forest) earned spots on the second team. Ward started all 26 games and tallied two goals and three assists, while Smith had a goal and two assists before suffering a season-ending injury in late September.