Blue Ridge FC failed to generate a shot on target in its 2026 United Premier Soccer League season opener with defending conference champion Lynchburg FC on Saturday, losing 3-0 at Horizons Edge Sports Campus.
Lynchburg (1-0) won the spring 2025 UPSL DMV conference title with a 9-1-0 record on its way to reaching the national round of 16, and started the 2026 season where they left off.
University of Lynchburg standout William Casey found the back of the net just six minutes into the first half following a corner kick and a reaction save from Blue Ridge goalkeeper Alex Cruz.
Southern Virginia University student-athlete Tate Hickman scored the second goal in the 60th minute; Cruz had no chance to make a save after the shot deflected off a defender.
Blue Ridge head coach Adam Sharp made seven substitutions in the second half, but could not shift the rhythm of the match.
“We knew this would be a tough matchup,” Sharp said. “We wanted to keep it close and wait for a mistake, but they didn’t make any mistakes.”
Liberty University’s Joshua Salehi scored in stoppage time for Lynchburg’s third goal.
“That’s the best team in Virginia right now,” Sharp said. “But nothing is static, and everything is changing. Just because it is raining or sunny now doesn’t mean it will always be raining or sunny.
“My task as a coach is to get these guys ready for June 6 when we go to Lynchburg, and we find out which team grew and which team plateaued.”
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Chris Graham
