For Immediate Release October 27, 2000
RC's Season Ends In Semis
Maroons Fall to Lynchburg, 2-0
Lynchburg (14-4) 0 2- 2 Roanoke (11-6) 0 0- 0 Goals: LC - Ensley, Jack. Assists: LC - Elliot. Saves: LC - Laing 2. RC - Godbout 10.
HARRISONBURG, VA--The Roanoke College field hockey season came to an end on Friday afternoon with a 2-0 loss to the Lynchburg College Hornets in the semifinals of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament. The Maroons end their season with an 11-6 overall record, while the Hornets improve to 14-4 and will play Eastern Mennonite in Saturday’s conference championship game. With their 11 wins this season, the Maroons close out the most successful four-year run in team history, compiling a 47-22 (.681) overall mark. Despite being outshot 9-1 by the Hornets in the first half, the Maroons managed to head into halftime even at zero with LC. That was due in large part to the outstanding play of RC goalie Jodi Godbout (Davie, FL/Centennial {MD}), who made six saves in the half. In all, the junior All-American candidate made 10 saves for the Maroons. The Hornets held a sizable 15-5 lead in the shots column in the game.
The Roanoke defense, led by Allary Braitsch (East Greenwich, RI/East Greenwich) and Courtney Apuzzo (Seekonk, MA/Seekonk), remained strong in the second half, holding the Hornets off the board for much of the frame. The Hornets did, however, crack the RC backline with just over 21 minutes remaining on a deflection past Godbout. Shortly thereafter, the Maroons had a golden opportunity to tie the score when Sirena LaBrake (Clifton, VA/Centreville) beat the LC keeper. Unfortunately for LaBrake and the Maroons a Hornet defender knocked the ball off the line and out of trouble. LaBrake was one of RC’s top frontline players in the game, recording two shots, including the near goal.
The Hornets put the game out of reach about eight minutes later on a goal by Linda Jack, who shot the ball into an empty net after the Maroons failed to clear the ball from inside the circle.
The game mark the final in the careers of RC's three seniors, Mary Joyner (Charlottee, NC/Charlotte Country Day), Trish Fitzgibbon (South Portland, ME/South Portland), and Emily Metro (Crofton, MD/Arundel). In addition to leading the Maroons to the 47-22 record in over the past four seasons, the three also helped RC to the 1999 ODAC championship game, the team's first appearance in the contest since 1987, and to four consecutive 10+ win seasons (a school record).