FOREST, Va. --- ODAC champion University of Lynchburg saw eight players assigned to all-conference teams with two earning special individual awards while runner-up Washington and Lee University took home seven team positions plus one special honor to headline the 2023 All-ODAC Men's Soccer Awards.
Generals forward
Weyimi Agbeyegbe garnered ODAC Offensive Player of the Year laurels, while Lynchburg centerback
Benjamin Velasquez was tabbed the ODAC Defensive Player of the Year. Teammate and midfielder
Carter Averette received ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year plaudits from the league's athletic communications personnel.
Shenandoah University mentor
Brandon Kates earned ODAC Coach of the Year honors from his peers. Hampden-Sydney College forward
Mo Wumpini completes the set of special awards as the ODAC Rookie of the Year.
Thirty-six stars earned All-ODAC recognition this season with 10 of them appearing on an awards list for the second straight season. That includes seven members of the All-ODAC First Team. Agbeyegbe is a repeat first team choice, along with Lynchburg's Averette and forward
Luke Mega. The same can be said of Shenandoah attacking midfielder
Nathan Yared. Virginia Wesleyan University midfielder
Alex Moody moved up from the 2022 All-ODAC Second Team along with WLU keeper
Will Joseph. Fellow General, centerback
PJ Ryan, made the leap from last year's All-ODAC Third Team.
Agbeyegbe, a junior from Atlanta, Ga., enters the NCAA Tournament leading the ODAC in points (28). He is tied with SU's Yared for the league-lead in goals scored (11) and tied with three other players for fifth in assists (6). Agbeyegbe is credited with a league-best four game-winning goals including a 2-1 win at Hampden-Sydney during the regular season and a 4-2 triumph over Shenandoah in the ODAC semifinals. He registered three or more points in five games including a hat trick for six points in a 3-0 victory at Averett to begin October. Agbeyegbe enters the NCAA postseason having recorded at least one point in four straight games and five of his past six outings. His efforts have helped Washington and Lee post the most goals overall (52) and in conference play (31) of any ODAC team this year.
Velasquez, a sophomore from Dale City, Va., is the leader of the back line for ODAC champion Lynchburg. Is adept at both on-ball defending and working into the Hornets transition to key the attack. Entering the NCAA Tournament, Velasquez has helped Lynchburg post ODAC-bests in goals against average (.791) and goals allowed per game (0.80). The Hornets have surrendered 16 goals in 20 games, second-fewest in the conference. During ODAC play, just nine goals found the back of Lynchburg's net, tied for second-fewest in the league. Velasquez, who has started all 20 games, has contributed heavily to the attack with seven points on one goal and five assists.
Kates enjoys his first ODAC top coaching honor after completing his second season guiding the Shenandoah men's program. SU shot up the ODAC standings in 2023, finishing with 18 points at 5-2-3 in league play to secure the fourth seed in the ODAC Tournament. The Hornets' finish marked an 11-point improvement from 2022 when they posted a 1-5-4 league mark. Shenandoah qualified for the conference postseason for just the second time since joining the ODAC in 2012-13 and posted a 4-0 victory over EMU in the quarterfinals to celebrate the program's first ODAC tournament victory. SU finished at 9-5-4 overall, its best record since going 9-7-2 in 2002. Kates owns a 13-11-10 (.529) career record.
Wumpini, a first-year from Chattanooga, Tenn., made an immediate impact as the Tigers' leading scorer in 2023. Wumpini played in 17 of H-SC's 18 games with 16 starts. He is currently tied for fifth in the ODAC in points (16) and goals scored (7). Wumpini did not wait long to make his mark, recording his first career points with two assists in his second game, a 3-0 win over Franciscan. Four days later, he registered his first collegiate goal in his third game, helping H-SC to a draw at Marymount, 1-1. He posted his first multi-goal outing with a brace in a 2-0 triumph over Ferrum in early October.
Averette, a fifth-year from Midlothian, Va., stars on and off the pitch as he pairs this honor with a selection to the All-ODAC First Team for a second straight season. In the classroom, Averette maintains a 3.850 grade point average as a double major in data science and statistics. A 2022 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honoree, Averette was recognized as the "Senior Student in Data Science and Statistics" for earning the highest GPA in the major. He is a multi-year Dean's List and President's List honoree and a four-time ODAC All-Academic Team member. Averette volunteers his time with several organizations including Central Baptist Church's "Broken Loaves Food Pantry," grounds beautification project at Central Baptist, community outreach with World Help organization through the University of Lynchburg, and the Lynchburg men's soccer youth soccer camps and FC Richmond Soccer Club youth camps.
On the field, Averette is a four-time All-ODAC honoree with three appointments to ODAC All-Tournament Teams. He also garnered an All-Region nod from the United Soccer Coaches (USC) in 2022. Averette has registered 14 points entering the NCAA Tournament on five goals and four assists. Two of his goals went down as game-winners including a 2-0 win over Oglethorpe early in the year and a 4-1 victory at Hampden-Sydney to kickoff ODAC play.
Below is the full set of All-ODAC Men's Soccer Awards.
2023 ALL-ODAC MEN'S SOCCER AWARDS
ODAC Offensive Player of the Year: Weyimi Agbeyegbe, Jr., F, Washington and Lee
ODAC Defensive Player of the Year: Benjamin Velasquez, So., D, Lynchburg
ODAC Coach of the Year: Brandon Kates, Shenandoah
ODAC Rookie of the Year: Mo Wumpini, Fy., F, Hampden-Sydney
ODAC/Va. Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete: Carter Averette, 5th, M, Lynchburg
| ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM |
| Mo Wumpini |
Fy. |
F |
Hampden-Sydney |
| Luke Mega * |
5th |
F |
Lynchburg |
| Chinedu Ikem |
So. |
F |
Shenandoah |
| Weyimi Agbeyegbe * |
Jr. |
F |
Washington and Lee |
| Carter Averette * |
5th |
M |
Lynchburg |
| Nathan Yared * |
Jr. |
M |
Shenandoah |
| Alex Moody ^ |
Sr. |
M |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Grant McCarty |
Sr. |
M |
Washington and Lee |
| Benjamin Velasquez |
So. |
D |
Lynchburg |
| Maynor Menendez |
Sr. |
D |
Shenandoah |
| PJ Ryan + |
Jr. |
D |
Washington and Lee |
| Will Joseph ^ |
So. |
GK |
Washington and Lee |
| |
|
|
|
| ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM |
| Daniel Starr |
5th |
F |
Averett |
| Dylan Matheny |
Sr. |
F |
Randolph-Macon |
| Zach Bittler |
So. |
F |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Manzi Shalita |
Sr. |
M |
Lynchburg |
| Dylan Berk * |
Sr. |
M |
Roanoke |
| Ilan Mejia |
So. |
M |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Matteo Adler |
So. |
M |
Washington and Lee |
| Oliver Kousholt |
Jr. |
D |
Averett |
| Josh Condit |
Jr. |
D |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| JaMarhe Wills |
Fy. |
D |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Willy Hall |
So. |
D |
Washington and Lee |
| Thomas Viscuso |
So. |
GK |
Lynchburg |
| |
|
|
|
| ALL-ODAC THIRD TEAM |
| Riley Queen |
Fy. |
F |
Bridgewater |
| Ford DeVault |
Jr. |
F |
Eastern Mennonite |
| Patrick Figaro |
Jr. |
F |
Lynchburg |
| Kodi Tannor |
Sr. |
F |
Randolph-Macon |
| Jonthomas Buckley |
So. |
M |
Averett |
| Declan Shaw ^ |
Sr. |
M |
Hampden-Sydney |
| Zach Whelan |
Sr. |
M |
Lynchburg |
| Leo Galpin ^ |
Sr. |
D |
Ferrum |
| Justin Varela |
Jr. |
D |
Hampden-Sydney |
| Ayden Cass |
Fy. |
D |
Lynchburg |
| Will Luik |
Jr. |
D |
Washington and Lee |
| Travis Jett |
5th |
GK |
Shenandoah |
| |
|
|
|
* 2022 All-ODAC First Team
^ 2022 All-ODAC Second Team
+ 2022 All-ODAC Third Team |