ODAC Podcast - November 5, 2009

A pair of championships are in the books with four more set to be decided this coming weekend. Brad and J.J. discuss each of the ODAC championship matchups set for this weekend in field hockey, men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball.

They also had a chance to chat with Randolph-Macon volleyball head coach, Bill Rogers, to learn more about the Yellow Jackets' program. Coach Rogers dives into the path his squad took to becoming the ODAC's top seed, and gives us all some insight into the tournament as a whole. His Yellow Jackets square off against Guilford College in one of two quarterfinals set to begin at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 6. The second set of quarterfinals begins at 6:30 p.m., following the announcement of the volleyball all-conference teams. Saturday features both semifinal contests at 11:00 a.m., followed by the championship match at 3:30 p.m. All matches take place in the gymnasium at Hollins University.

The 2009 ODAC Field Hockey Championship features Eastern Mennonite University and Lynchburg College. The Royals defeated Washington and Lee University, 3-1, to score its place in the finals. The Hornets came back to defeat Randolph-Macon, 3-1, for the right to host the title game. Saturday's championship is set for 2:00 p.m. at Shellenberger Field on Lynchburg's campus.

Roanoke College and Lynchburg will be meeting to decide the 2009 ODAC men's soccer champion. The Maroons punched their ticket by advancing 4-2 on penalty kicks against Virginia Wesleyan. The two squads were deadlocked, 1-1, through 110 minutes of play, forcing the spot kicks. Lynchburg scored twice in the second half to defeat Hampden-Sydney, 2-1, and earn the hosting responsibilities for the finals. Game time of the men's soccer championship is set for 7:00 p.m. under the lights at Shellenberger Field.

ODAC women's soccer pits the top two seeds in the original field. Virginia Wesleyan ran the table as the No. 1 seed, earning its championship hosting opportunity with a 5-1 win over Roanoke. Washington and Lee will travel to Virginia Beach after defeating Lynchburg, 2-1, in Lexington. An 88th minute goal from Allie Espina paved the way for the Generals. The women's soccer championship is set for 1:30 p.m at Foster Field on Virginia Wesleyan's campus.

Click below to listen to this week's podcast. For past and future editions of the ODAC Podcast, visit the ODAC Podcast Blog site each week (http://odac-podcast.blogspot.com), or sign-up for the ODAC Podcast via iTunes! You can also get updates automatically by adding the RSS feed to your homepage (yahoo, MSN, etc) or to Microsoft Outlook!

Listen to the ODAC Podcast - November 5, 2009

ODAC Podcast - October 30, 2009

It's tournament time in the ODAC! Brad and J.J. run-through each of the postseason tournament draws in this edition of the ODAC Podcast. Virginia Wesleyan enters as the top seed in both men's and women's soccer. Lynchburg tops the entrants in field hockey, and Randolph-Macon heads the field that will compete at Hollins for the volleyball crown.

The championship season kicks off this weekend with the first titles awarded in cross country. In what has become an annual discussion, J.J. had the chance to sit down with Roanoke mentor, Finn Pincus, about the upcoming cross country event. Roanoke hosts this year's championship meet in Salem at Mowles Spring Park. With that in mind, Pincus provided insight into the planning and preparation for the 2009 championship meet, as well as benchmarking what is sure to be a deep and competitive field for this weekend's races. The women's 6K run is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. with the men's 8K affair following at 12:00 p.m.

Pincus is in his 19th season guiding the Roanoke cross country and track & field programs. He has won numerous coaching awards, including most recently being named the NCAA Southeast Region Coach of the Year for indoor track.

Click below to listen to this week's podcast. For past and future editions of the ODAC Podcast, visit the ODAC Podcast Blog site each week (http://odac-podcast.blogspot.com), or sign-up for the ODAC Podcast via iTunes! You can also get updates automatically by adding the RSS feed to your homepage (yahoo, MSN, etc) or to Microsoft Outlook!

Listen to the ODAC Podcast - October 30, 2009

ODAC Podcast - October 23, 2009

The ODAC Podcast tackles men’s and women’s soccer in this week’s show. Brad and J.J. talk about the tight standings in both sports as schedules start to wind down towards the ODAC postseason, which begins the weekend of October 31. This week’s interview features Washington and Lee women’s soccer head coach, Neil Cunningham, and senior midfielder Maggie Sutherland.

The Generals currently sit atop the ODAC standings with a 12-1-1 overall record and 8-0-1 showing in conference action. Washington and Lee also leads a strong ODAC contingent in the first release of the NCAA Division III regional rankings. WLU sits third in the South Atlantic Region, followed closely by Virginia Wesleyan, Lynchburg and Roanoke. The Generals also debuted in the NSCAA national coaches poll as the 21st ranked program.

Cunningham is in his ninth season as head women's soccer coach and third year as director of physical education at Washington and Lee. He also serves as an Assistant Athletic Director for the Generals. Through his first eight years, Cunningham has accumulated a 116-25-16 record.

Sutherland patrols the center of the Generals' midfield, serving as a main cog in the squad's transition from defense to offense. She earned a spot on the All-ODAC First Team in 2008 and was named the ODAC Rookie of the Year in 2006. This season, Sutherland has scored four goals to go with one assist for nine total points.

Click below to listen to this week's podcast. For past and future editions of the ODAC Podcast, visit the ODAC Podcast Blog site each week (http://odac-podcast.blogspot.com), or sign-up for the ODAC Podcast via iTunes! You can also get updates automatically by adding the RSS feed to your homepage (yahoo, MSN, etc) or to Microsoft Outlook!

Listen to the ODAC Podcast - October 23, 2009

ODAC Podcast - October 15, 2009

In this week's podcast, Brad and J.J. dive into ODAC cross country and discuss some of the top times so far this season. They also had a chance to talk with Guilford's Bill Cason. He's in his second year in Greensboro, assisting the Quakers with their cross country operations as well as serving as the director of the newly formed GC indoor and outdoor track programs. Cason provides insight into both cross country and track as well as discussing the College's role in hosting the 2009 South/Southeast Region Cross Country meet.

Cason brought seven years of head track and field and cross country coaching experience to Guilford. He served as Clemson University's head men's cross country/assistant track and field coach from 1985-88 and won the 1987 Atlantic Coast Conference's (ACC) Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year Award. In 1988, Cason took over as head men's and women's cross country coach at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where he also started the Seahawks' track and field teams.

Click below to listen to this week's podcast. For past and future editions of the ODAC Podcast, visit the ODAC Podcast Blog site each week (http://odac-podcast.blogspot.com), or sign-up for the ODAC Podcast via iTunes! You can also get updates automatically by adding the RSS feed to your homepage (yahoo, MSN, etc) or to Microsoft Outlook!

Listen to the ODAC Podcast - October 15, 2009

ODAC Podcast - October 8, 2009

This week's podcast dives back into the action on the fields as teams in ODAC sports look forward towards the second half of their seasons. Brad and J.J. focus their conversation on men's soccer and field hockey, with a pair of interviews featuring a pair of top scorers and their head coaches.

Guilford men's soccer has been one of the most dynamic programs in the conference through the first half of the season. Head coach Jeff Bateson's squad ranks at the top of the ODAC in goals scored and overall points, thanks in large part to freshman forward Freddy Gomez. Gomez is currently the ODAC leader in points (25) and is tied atop the rankings with 10 goals scored.

Lynchburg field hockey has been the talk of the town over the past two weeks. Last Saturday, senior standout Allie Weir had her second record-breaking weekend of the year as she became the NCAA Division III career leader in goals scored. She now has 123 to her credit (prior to Thursday against VWC) with the D-III career points record still within reach, but her focus remains on the team's success. Head coach Enza Steele sheds some light on this edition of Hornets' field hockey. A 30-year veteran of the program, Coach Steele entered the season with 422 wins, third most amongst active NCAA Division III coaches.

Click below to listen to this week's podcast. For past and future editions of the ODAC Podcast, visit the ODAC Podcast Blog site each week (http://odac-podcast.blogspot.com), or sign-up for the ODAC Podcast via iTunes! You can also get updates automatically by adding the RSS feed to your homepage (yahoo, MSN, etc) or to Microsoft Outlook!

Listen to the ODAC Podcast - October 8, 2009

ODAC Podcast - October 1, 2009

This week's edition of the ODAC Podcast takes a break from the action on the field to discuss a growing emphasis within the conference...athletic facilities. Over the past few years, the ODAC's institutions have put further emphasis on upgrading or adding new facilities to their campuses, both for the benefit of varsity athletic programs and the campus community as a whole.

Brad and J.J. had a chance to speak with Kelly Morrison, the athletic director at Sweet Briar College. The Vixens' campus in Amherst is the latest to add new athletic facilities to its landscape, with a new multi-purpose field house adjoining the renovated gymnasium already on campus. The weekend of September 26 was busy for the SBC community as the Vixens dedicated not only the new field house, but their existing outdoor playing fields. The weekend also included a home field hockey match, the inauguration of Sweet Briar's new president, Dr. Jo Ellen Parker, and the induction of Jennifer Crispen and Paul Cronin in the Sweet Briar Ahtletic Hall of Fame. Kelly touched on each of these events in her conversation with Brad and J.J.

Click below to listen to this week's podcast. For past and future editions of the ODAC Podcast, visit the ODAC Podcast Blog site each week (http://odac-podcast.blogspot.com), or sign-up for the ODAC Podcast via iTunes! You can also get updates automatically by adding the RSS feed to your homepage (yahoo, MSN, etc) or to Microsoft Outlook!

Listen to the ODAC Podcast - October 1, 2009

ODAC Podcast - September 24, 2009

The ODAC Podcast is back with its first show of the 2009-10 academic year. Brad Bankston and J.J. Nekoloff sit down to discuss some of the new things in the ODAC (including the NEW www.odaconline.com) as well as early season highlights throughout the fall campaigns. They also had the chance to chat with Hampden-Sydney football mentor, Marty Favret, about Tigers' football. As an added bonus, J.J. talked with head coach Cassie Pochyla and reigning ODAC Rookie of the Year, Rachel Fertitta, from Emory & Henry volleyball.

Coach Favret has his Tigers 3-0 through the first few weeks of the season with both sides of the ball performing at a high level. The offense, led by quarterback Corey Sedlar and running back Kirk Rohle, has averaged better than 50 points per game thus far. The defense, with lineman Will Riggenbach leading the charge, leads the ODAC in sacks with 11.

Coach Pochyla has her Wasps playing well, as evidenced by a 9-3 start to the season. Middle hitter Rachel Fertitta has had much to do with that as she leads the ODAC in both kills and blocks. She was named the ODAC Player of the Week during the second week of action, which made up just one of two awards she earned for her play during that seven-day period. Fertitta garnered the NCAA Division III National Player of the Week from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).

Click below to listen to this week's podcast. For past and future editions of the ODAC Podcast, visit the ODAC Podcast Blog site each week (http://odac-podcast.blogspot.com), or sign-up for the ODAC Podcast via iTunes! You can also get updates automatically by adding the RSS feed to your homepage (yahoo, MSN, etc) or to Microsoft Outlook!

Listen to the ODAC Podcast - September 24, 2009