Sun Belt Conference

Western Kentucky and tied with Charlotte in the next two matches. This propelled the Monarchs into the top of the East Division.

ODU split the final matches left in conference play with a stunning 1-0 loss at home on senior night against Florida International. They traveled down to Florida and won the regular season finale against Florida Atlantic 2-0. With the win, they secured the No. 1 seed in the East Division of the conference tournament. The Lady Monarchs secured the regular season title and had high expectations going into the postseason conference tournament. They finished the regular season with a 10-4-1 record and (6-1-1 C-USA).

When asked about conference play in the regular season, Head Coach Angie Wind expressed her excitement for the way her team has played and how the consistency of her team proves how good they can really be. “To play eight games in this conference and concede only one goal is just incredible. We showed again tonight just how much of a squad this really is as so many played a part of this win tonight. That has been the way all season long,” Coach Hind said. “This team has shown such consistency this year and to do what we have done so far and in the manner we have is just fantastic and a real testament to just how good we have been.”

In the quarterfinals of the C-USA tournament, the Monarchs met UTSA. The game was very intense and could have gone either way for both teams. They scored in the first overtime of the match up and prevailed, advancing to the semis. This led them to a face off with Middle Tennessee. After falling behind in the semifinal match early 1-0, the Monarchs struck two goals later in the match and defeated Middle Tennessee 2-1. Because of this, they advanced to the conference championship match for the first time. Everything the ODU womens soccer team has done this season came down to this one match because it was a “win or go home’’ situation. They faced off with Southern Miss, who was also the number one seed, but from the west. An early goal from senior Morgan Hall gave the Monarchs the advantage. The goal was everything that the Monarchs needed. They didn’t allow a goal for the rest of the game and won the match 1-0. This captured their first league title in Conference USA. “It has been a journey we started eight years ago, and every player who has helped take this program forward year after year to build a platform to get us to this stage today, well this trophy is for all of them too,” Hind said after the championship victory. “They deserve this moment.” Coach Hind surpassed her previous record for wins with Old Dominion with the 13 wins this season. Previously, there was a record of 10 wins in 2019. Two wins in the NCAA Tournament ties the school record in wins in a season. In the 2006 season, there were 15 wins. The Monarchs looked onto the next goal of the season, which is to win the national championship. The NCAA hosted its Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 8 and revealed the round one slate. ODU will begin its quest for eternal glory when they meet with the top seeded Duke Blue Devils in the first round of the NCAA tournament. No matter what the outcome is in the championship tournament, Old Dominion has proven that they can play among the best collegiate soccer teams in the country. ODU began its journey in the summer not knowing what the future would hold, but their effort on and off the field has awarded the deserving soccer program a historic season to remember.

The Old Dominion University field hockey team has brought in nine NCAA Championships, 31 NCAA tournament appearances, 32 conference championships, and 52 All-Americans that have played throughout the years. Among the coaches in the Big East Conference, the Monarchs were picked to finish third in the Big East preseason coaches poll. After finishing the season 9-5 in 2020, they were ranked 16th in the nation. ODU lost in the conference final against UCONN for the second consecutive season, but they used this as motivation to regroup for the new season. Although ODU is returning most of their players, it is still somewhat of a new roster. Though this is a young bunch, the task of winning championships has remained the same.

Before the season, Head Coach Andrew Griffiths expressed how he thinks this could be the year that they take the next leap. “We’ve been pushing the boundary and just haven’t gotten through the last couple of years and I feel like it’s coming,” said Head Coach Andrew Griffiths. “We’re really young, we’re probably going to start five freshmen. But there’s a lot of talent, a lot of good young players. This is an exciting time for the team and the program.”

To begin the season, the Monarchs started with a home matchup against 17th ranked Delaware. They dropped the season opening match 4-0. In the next game, ODU welcomed American University into town. The game went into overtime, where the Monarchs found the back of the cage winning 3-2. Then, they went on the road to face 24th ranked James Madison. The matchup went back and forth, but a late goal in the fourth period lifted ODU to victory. After back-to-back victories, the Monarchs returned home and defeated Longwood 2-1. ODU went back on the road and shutout VCU 3-0. The winning streak was up to four games, but the next match was going to be a true test for ODU. They went on the road to face 16th ranked UCONN, who has been a powerhouse in the Big East for a long time. The Lady Monarchs were not able to compete with the Huskies and were shutout 2-0, which ended the four game winning streak.

After dropping the match against UCONN, the Monarchs bounced back. Because they were on a winning streak like they had as the season opened, it went up to five games. They defeated Quinnipiac at home 7-0 before going on the road and knocking off the 11th ranked Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville 2-1. Then, they went on and won on the road against Villanova by a score of 3-2. ODU returned home for their next two matches and defeated Richmond in a high scoring competitive game 4-3. The Monarchs defeated Georgetown late in the week 2-0, which extended the winning streak to