September 26, 2008

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University took a 2-1 women's soccer victory past visiting Saint Francis (Pa.) University Friday night at the Athletics Complex in Farmville.  Sophomore Alex Myers/Stafford (Colonial Forge) scored her first two goals of the season for the Lancers who improved to 5-2-1 with their fourth win in five matches; the Red Flash dropped to 3-2-4.  Longwood is scheduled to play again this Sunday, September 28, hosting Howard University at the Athletics Complex on Johnston Drive for its first United Soccer Conference (USC) match of the fall beginning at 4:30 p.m..
   
Longwood and Saint Francis played their contest in a steady, and at times heavy, rain throughout the evening with some thunder in the distance at the start.  Myers put the Lancers on the scoreboard at 28:41 when she collected a loose ball in the box and finished her shot into the net for a 1-0 advantage that stood at the intermission.  Myers made it a 2-0 lead at 60:25 as she took a nice pass across the box from redshirt-junior Maddie Stevens/Charles Town, W.Va. (Jefferson) and once-again beat the keeper to find the net.  The Red Flash made it interesting with a goal at 71:32 when Alanna Vespa went one-on-one with the keeper and scored after receiving a pass from Kate Bosy.  The visitors kept the pressure on down the stretch but could not score the equalizer as the hosts earned their fourth one-goal decision this season.
   
Saint Francis took a 12-4 overall advantage in shots, though just 6-4 in attempts on-goal, and they had a 5-1 edge in corner kicks as well.  Myers, last year's USC Rookie of the Year, made the most of her two shot attempts with results for each.  Redshirt-sophomore keeper Marcia Biddle/Woodbridge (Gar-Field) played the duration in front of the net for the Lancers, posting five saves.  Lauren Fearer played the entire match in goal for the Red Flash as well with two saves.  Vespa and Traci Flick each had four shots for SFU.
   
It was just the second-ever meeting in women's soccer between Longwood and Saint Francis as the young series is now tied at 1-1.