Box Score LORETTO, Pa. – It had been over a year since Longwood's
Amanda Spencer played a game in her home state, but the sophomore midfielder was right at home less than 90 miles from her hometown Saturday afternoon scoring a pair of goals to lead Longwood past Saint Francis, 3-1, at Stokes Soccerplex.
A native of Gibsonia, Pa., Spencer wiped away an early deficit with a game-tying goal in the 13th minute and found the net again early in the second half to push Longwood's lead to 3-1. Her two scores came after the Lancers fell behind 1-0 following a score from Saint Francis' Eloa Nascimento just 10:56 into the game.
"That was our best team performance thus far, and it was against one of the strongest teams we've faced," head coach
Todd Dyer said. "To do it on the road and coming from behind says a lot about the character of this team."
For the second time this season, Longwood (3-2-1) overcame an early deficit and rallied for a win on the road. Saint Francis' goal followed an opening flurry in which the Red Flash fired four shots before the Lancers managed their first attempt. Longwood responded quickly, however, as Spencer knifed her way through the Saint Francis defense and snuck in the equalizer from 10 feet out. From there, Longwood would allow just four more shots on goal on the way to blanking Saint Francis the rest of the way.
"Our back line and defense shape held up under pressure, and Spencer was a rock star in front of her Pittsburgh family and friends that made the trip from just up the road," Dyer said.
The 5-3 Spencer found shooting lanes throughout the day and booted a team-high four shots. Her second goal came in the 59th minute from close range, sneaking one from right to left across the goal.
Spencer's goals bookended the game-winning score from freshman
Teresa Fruchterman, who now leads the Lancers with four goals on the season. Fruchterman put the Lancers ahead for good at the 18:21 mark on a goal set up by junior defender
Alana Mackey.
Longwood goalkeeper
Hailey Machen was busy in the first half, saving four of the five shots she faced but saw just two shots come her way in the final 45 minutes. Machen (3-2-1) has now allowed one or zero goals in four of her six games.
The Lancers will resume their four-game road trip on Sept. 16 against Howard in Washington, D.C., followed by another road contest against VCU in Richmond, Va., on Sept. 21.
#GoLongwood
