September 22, 2010

Box Score

FARMVILLE, Va. - The Longwood University field hockey dropped a 3-2 decision at 20th-ranked James Madison University of the Colonial Athletic Association on Wednesday in Harrisonburg. Senior Lauren Sullivan | Fredericksburg (Stafford) scored her second goal of the season and assisted on the other Longwood goal. The Lancers (2-6) return home to open their NorPac slate against Radford University on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at the Athletics Complex in Farmville. Admission is free.

“It was a good, even match,” said third-year head coach Iain Byers. “We overcame a rocky start and played good as a team. We played within our system. We lost another heartbreaker against a top-20 team, but we are making strides, and who knows what will happen if we get over that hump.”

James Madison (4-5) jumped out to the early 1-0 lead after Dolores de Rooij scored from the top of the circle on a penalty corner in the seventh minute. She scored her second goal of the match, also off a corner, in the 16th minute to push the JMU lead to 2-0. Junior Amanda Babineau | Stafford (Mountain View) pulled the Lancers within one after she took a pass from Lauren Sullivan and scored in the 22nd minute. Longwood weathered a first-half barrage by the Dukes, with sophomore goalkeeper Kaye Goulding | Tickhill, England (Wakefield Girls) recording four saves in the opening period as JMU outshot the Lancers 9-5.

Longwood put the pressure on in the second half, launching 10 shots with seven shots on goal, but the Dukes' Rachel Wein added an insurance goal in the 44th minute to put JMU ahead 3-1. Lauren Sullivan answered in the 51st minute after she deflected a rebound off a Babineau shot that hit the post to trim the lead to 3-2. The Lancers played strong defense, not allowing a penalty corner in the second period.

Longwood outshot James Madison 15-12 while the Dukes had a 5-4 edge in penalty corners. Goulding made five saves for Longwood while JMU's Margo Savage stopped nine shots. Lauren Sullivan and Babineau each had four shots with three shots on goal while freshman Stacey de Grandhomme | Cape Town, South Africa (Table View) attempted three shots. de Rooij led JMU with a game-high five shots.