August 22, 2011

FARMVILLE, Va. - Longwood University will open its 2011 men's soccer regular season campaign on Saturday, August 27, when it hosts Randolph College at 11 a.m. at the Athletics Complex in Farmville. Admission is free to all Longwood home fall athletics events.

Match Details
Opponent: Randolph College
Site: Farmville, Va.
Facility: Athletics Complex
Start: 7 p.m.
Live Stats
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A Look At Longwood
Longwood returns eight starters among 11 letterwinners from the 2010 squad that finished 2-13-4. Seventh-year head coach Jon Atkinson has added 13 newcomers to the team, including nine freshmen. Coach Atkinson is assisted by third-year assistant coach Eduardo de Souza and first year volunteer assistant coach Don Herlan, who will work primarily with goalkeepers. Atkinson has posted a 37-59-19 record over his six years as head coach.

A Look At Randolph
Randolph is coming off a 10-8-1 campaign and fifth-place finish in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) with a 6-3-1 conference mark. The Wildcats are led by fifth-year head coach Bryan Waggoner, who guided the squad to its first winning season in 2010. The Wildcats return All-ODAC forward Corey Sindle and All-ODAC Honorable Mention midfielder Nick Cornell.

Series Record
Saturday's match will be the first regular season meeting.

Home Field
Longwood has posted a 21-16-7 record at the Athletics Complex since the facility opened for the 2006 season, including a 5-2 mark in 2009. The Lancers went 2-4-4 in home contests in 2010.

Familiar Faces
Longwood welcomes back three three-year starters in 2011. Goalkeeper Joel Helmick has started 49 of 52 matches and posted a career 1.53 goals against average. Forward Zack Mahon has scored six goals with two assists for 14 points including a career-high four goals in 2010. Defender Shane Johnson has appeared in 52 matches with 51 starts and has scored three goals with four assists for 10 points.

Up Next
The Lancers play a pair of matches next week, traveling to Lynchburg to face Liberty University of the Big South Conference on Tuesday, August 30, at 7 p.m.. Longwood returns home to welcome the University of North Florida at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 3, at the Athletics Complex in Farmville.