ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A free kick in the 71st minute set up Paul Egle for the game-winning goal in UNC Asheville's 1-0 win over Longwood Sunday afternoon at Greenwood Field.
 
After a foul outside the box gave the Bulldogs (3-8-1, 1-4-2 Big South) a free kick, Zach Joens sent a chip shot to the net that Egle redirected past Longwood goalkeeper Carlos Canas for his third goal of the season. UNC Asheville then fended off four Longwood shots over the remainder of the game, blocking a pair before keeper Dan Jackson came up with a big save on Anthony Ugorji's attempt in the 77th minute.
 
"This was a 'tough-it-out' character-type game on an extremely difficult surface, and Asheville found a way to score," Longwood head coach Jon Atkinson said. "I didn't agree with the call that gave them that opportunity, but these are the adversities that you have to deal with when you are down there. We applied ourselves well for the most part and had the ascendancy throughout, but we didn't do enough in the final third to wrestle the game away from a hard-working Asheville team."
 
Longwood (3-12-1, 2-5 Big South) held a 15-12 advantage in the shot column and a 6-5 margin in shots on goal, but it was the goalkeeper duel between Jackson and Canas that defined the game. Canas, who owns a 1.22 goals against average over his past four games, stopped four of the five shots he faced, but Jackson knocked away all six en route to his first shutout of the season. His performance was enough to hand Longwood its second straight one-goal defeat and sixth such loss of the season.

With the defeat, the Lancers find themselves clinging to seventh place in the Big South standings and just inside the eight-team playoff bubble heading into the Big South Tournament on Nov. 11. The loss carries Big South Tournament implications for both teams, bumping UNC Asheville into the eighth spot in the league standings while trimming Longwood's (3-12-1, 2-5 Big South) hold on the seventh spot to one point over the Bulldogs. The top eight teams advance to the league tournament, and Longwood's Nov. 5 matchup against ninth-place Gardner-Webb (3-12-1, 1-6-1 Big South) could decide the Lancers' postseason fate.
 
The Lancers have two games remaining before locking up their Big South Tournament bid, including the senior night matchup against Gardner-Webb and the regular season finale at Coastal Carolina on Nov. 8. UNC Asheville's final two games are at Presbyterian and at Campbell, while Gardner-Webb's final game of the regular season is Wednesday against Longwood. A Longwood win over Gardner-Webb would secure at least a top-eight finish while a loss would take the playoff berth out of Longwood's control.
 
In addition to the playoff-type atmosphere Wednesday's game against Gardner-Webb will generate, Longwood will also honor its two seniors – Jonathan Kukapa and Anthony Ugorji – prior to the 6 p.m. start.
 
#GoWood