April 21, 2006

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va. --  Longwood University earned a 20-13 women’s lacrosse decision over visiting Mountain Pacific Sports Federation member Saint Mary’s this afternoon in Farmville at the new Athletics Complex. The Lancers, who have now won four-straight contests, improved their record to 5-9, while the Gaels dropped to 4-10 on the season. LU was led by junior midfielder Cathleen Strain/Alexandria (Mount Vernon) and junior attacker Kathleen Barry/Annandale (W.T. Woodson). Strain scored a game-high five goals and added three assists, while Barry scored three goals and assisted on four others. Longwood will be back in action on Sunday, April 23 when it travels into North Carolina for a contest against Davidson. Game time is slated for 2:00 p.m.

Longwood used a big first half to take control of the contest. Leading 5-3 with 18 minutes to play in the stanza, the Lancers scored six-straight goals to expanded its advantage to 11-3. Barry scored two goals, while Strain, senior midfielder Emily Bikowski/Fairfax (Bishop O’Connell), senior midfielder Ali Shafer/Fairfax (Fairfax) and freshman midfielder Ann Rae Keel/Westminster, Md. (Westminster) all scored one goal for LU during the scoring-streak.

Saint Mary’s did score two goals over the final eight minutes, while limiting the Lancers to just one to cut LU’s halftime lead to 12-5.  

The Gaels mounted a comeback in the second half, slicing the Lancer lead to just 15-13 with 9:46 to play in the contest. With the score 13-8, Longwood freshman attacker Michelle Owen/Finksburg, Md. (Mount de Sales Academy) and Strain scored back-to-back goals to push LU’s advantage 15-8, but Saint Mary’s rattled off five-straight goals to put some pressure on the Lancers and cut the lead to two goals.

Longwood buckled down on defense, while its offense came alive to score the final five goals of the game to help secure the seven-goal victory. Owen scored two goals, and Strain, Keel and freshman midfielder Liz Sellmayer/Baltimore, Md. (Mount de Sales Academy) each scored one goal in the closing minutes.

Longwood held a slight 32-30 edge in shots and a 31-29 advantage in ground balls. Senior goalkeeper Emily Wilson/Owings, Md. (Northern) played 34 minutes in goal for the Lancers, making nine saves, while sophomore goalkeeper Jen Holliday/Gaithersburg, Md. (Quince Orchard) played 26 minutes and stopped one shot.