September 28, 2008

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University took a 4-0 women's soccer shutout victory past visiting United Soccer Conference (USC) opponent Howard University Sunday at the Athletics Complex in Farmville.  Freshman Kacie Oliver/Portsmouth, R.I. (Portsmouth) scored her team-leading third goal of the season for the Lancers who improved to 6-2-1 overall, 1-0 in the USC, with their fifth win in six matches; the Bison dropped to 1-9-0, 0-1 USC.  Longwood is scheduled to play again on Thursday, October 2, a non-league match on the road at Big South Conference member Radford University beginning at 7 p.m..
   
Longwood started slowly against Howard and led just 1-0 at the intermission after Oliver scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at 25:17, unassisted after dribbling in and beating the keeper with her shot into the back of the net.  The Lancers took control with three goals in the second half, the first at 52:27 when redshirt-junior Maddie Stevens/Charles Town, W.Va. (Jefferson) got her foot on a free kick into the box from near midfield by sophomore Lauren Trizna/Manassas (Osbourn Park) that found the net.  The hosts added two more goals just minutes apart at 66:29 and 68:12, respectively, as sophomore Kayla Huggins/North Haven, Conn. (North Haven) and redshirt-junior Ashlee McConnell/Carlisle, Pa. (Carlisle) each scored.  Huggins' tally came after a rebounded shot off the crossbar by sophomore Alex Myers/Stafford (Colonial Forge), credited with an assist, while McConnell went one-on-one while beating the keeper for her score.  It was the second goal of the year for Huggins, while Stevens and McConnell each scored their first goal of the season for the home team.
   
Longwood took a 24-2 overall advantage in shots, including 15-1 in attempts on-goal, and had a 5-1 edge in corner kicks as well.  Myers, last year's USC Rookie of the Year, totaled six shots with four on-goal.  Redshirt-sophomore keeper Marcia Biddle/Woodbridge (Gar-Field) played the first 66:49 in front of the net for the Lancers with one save, while freshman keeper Kristen McGough/Round Rock, Texas (Stony Point)?played the final 23:11 for the combined shutout.  Jessamyn Perkins played the entire match in goal for Howard with 10 saves, while the Bison posted a team save as well.
   
Longwood now leads the overall series against Howard at 7-1 since first meeting in 2003.