LYNCHBURG, Va. – The University of Lynchburg men’s and women’s soccer teams combined to produce 11 all-conference honorees and three major award winners in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference’s postseason honors, encapsulating the teams’ dominant seasons.
Both teams qualified for ODAC postseason play, while the men’s team earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with an ODAC Championship victory over Washington & Lee.
Men’s Soccer Collects Top Postseason Awards
Eight members of the men’s team clinched all-conference honors, including four All-ODAC first team accolades. Defender Benji Velasquez solidified his third-consecutive ODAC Defensive Player of the Year honor with a mere eight goals allowed. Midfielder Matthew Viscuso captured the ODAC Rookie of the Year award while defender Reid Rouse garnered the ODAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year distinction.
During a first-year campaign that featured one goal and three assists during the regular season, Viscuso credits the team for its welcoming atmosphere for newcomers.
“In a lot of environments, you don’t have those leaders that make you feel welcome from the first day,” Viscuso said. “It’s nice to have those older people who aren’t focused on themselves.”
Viscuso also praised Rouse as one of the veteran defenders who embraced this selfless attitude.
“All Reid [Rouse] cares about is the team,” Viscuso said. “He got his award, but the first thing he does is congratulate everyone else.”
As two of the ODAC’s signature award winners, Rouse and Velasquez combined on the back line to produce 11 clean sheets in 17 matches. Behind Lynchburg’s defense stood All-ODAC first-team goalkeeper Thomas Viscuso, Matthew’s older brother.
“It was fun to come here and play with him [Thomas] again because he’s my best friend,” the younger Viscuso said. “It’s funny to see how far we’ve come. Yesterday, after the awards came out, my mom sent a picture of us when I was five and he was eight, and it was me shooting on him.”
Years before claiming the ODAC Rookie of the Year accolade, Viscuso’s career accelerated with constructive criticism from his older brother.
“He [Thomas] would literally tell me that people on his team could do things faster and better than me,” Viscuso said. “For the past three years during high school, I was getting prepared by him to play at this speed, so once I actually got here, it felt like I could adapt to it.”
Beyond the Viscuso’s family ties, Lynchburg’s tight-knit defense and young offense propelled the program to a 14-1-2 overall record at the end of the regular season.
The secret ingredient? Working as a unit.
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“It’s about believing in ourselves and believing in each other,” Viscuso said. “Our coaches will go over what other teams do, but the main thing is to focus on ourselves. We might spend 15 or 20 minutes watching the other team, and the rest will be focused on us.”
For Viscuso and company, the main objective was never tied to the awards stand.
“My main goal was to win ODACs and go far into nationals,” Viscuso said.
The men’s soccer team began the 2025 postseason with five consecutive victories on Shellenberger Field, including the 2-1 victory over Washington & Lee in the ODAC Championship. The Hornets defeated Transylvania and Christopher Newport in the NCAA Tournament first and second rounds to advance to the round of 16.
Youth Movement Fuels Women’s Soccer Season
Sammie Rogstad, Morgan Oliver, and Lauren Orner claimed All-ODAC Second Team honors for the Lynchburg women’s soccer team following a 10-6-3 campaign in 2025.
While the Hornets suffered a 1-0 overtime defeat against Virginia Wesleyan in the ODAC Quarterfinals, Lynchburg claimed double-digit victories despite losing 12 seniors following the 2024 season. For Rogstad, the sophomore defender, expectations quickly rose as younger players entered leadership roles.
“Last year, even though I got the chance to have a lot of minutes and make an impact, I was still the youngest in the back line,” Rogstad said. “We got really lucky because we had two freshmen who came in and were very impactful from the beginning.”
After 2024, the Hornets lost former All-American defender Haleigh Casey, along with veterans Claire Lloyd and Elora Grochowski. Although Coach Todd Olsen was left with just one-fourth of his back line, the 2025 team recorded 11 shutouts and only allowed 17 goals.
“It was definitely trial and error in the beginning,” Rogstad said. “We all had to get to know each other, and once that foundation of trust was built, there was so much confidence going into every game.”
The Hornets’ young defense began the season with four consecutive clean sheets, a feat only matched by the 1999 women’s soccer team.
“Every time I looked at the people next to me, I just felt that it would be hard for the other team to score,” Rogstad said. “That was something we took a lot of pride in.”
“The biggest takeaway for me is that we are a very resilient group. We graduated 12 seniors last year and brought in a big freshman class, but it never felt like anyone was quitting or discounting what we were able to bring to the table.”
Rogstad’s fellow second-team selections, Orner and Oliver, contributed 17 goals and 10 assists in the midfield. Praised for their competitiveness, the pair of juniors started all 19 matches for the Hornets.
“I can speak for everyone on the defense by saying Lauren [Orner] and Morgan [Orner] are always going to perform and do everything they can,” Rogstad said. “We have talented players across the board, even if they didn’t get recognized.”
While the team hoped to return to the ODAC Championship for the first time since 2022, Rogstad recognizes that this transitional year will serve as a spark for the future.
“I think it is good to have a season where you don’t just have success,” Rogstad said. “It builds character, and it’s a way to show that not everything is going to work out, but it’s preparing you for something better. Next year, we’re only going to improve.”
To view the full list of All-ODAC men’s soccer selections, click here.
To view the full list of All-ODAC women’s soccer selections, click here.
