FARMVILLE, Va. – High Point opened a 2-0 lead in the opening minutes of the second-half, before holding off a Longwood rally in the closing minutes to escape with a 2-1 win Saturday night at the Longwood Athletics Complex.
Following the eighth goal of the season from forward
Willy Miezan in the 64th minute to draw the Lancers within a goal 2-1, Longwood peppered High Point goaltender Kody Palmer with six shots to total 13 second-half shots and outshoot the Panthers by a 18-12 margin. However, Palmer and his defense –ranked second in the Big South coming into the nigh allowing opponents just 0.67 goals per contest – were equal to the task.
Palmer made a total of seven saves in the game, marking the fourth time this season the Panther goalkeeper has made seven or more saves in a contest. Longwood starting goalkeeper
Carlos Canas made three saves on 12 High Point shots.
"We came out lackluster at the start and put together a better performance in the second-half," said Longwood head coach
Jon Atkinson. "We had enough chances in the second-half, but the ball wouldn't settle in our favor."
For Miezan, a 6-0, 170 redshirt-freshman from Alexandria, Va., he has scored six goals in the first 10 games of his collegiate career. With his latest goal-scoring effort, Miezan finds himself tied for the Big South lead in goals scored and ranks tied for sixth in the nation in goals scored.
"Willy is a quality player," Atkinson said. "I think he could be a little better supported at times, but he's a special talent and is off to a great start in his college career."
High Point scored the game's opening goal in the 11th minute, as Chris Ramsell took a pass from Cameron Foster on the left side of the 18-yard box and firing a shot past Longwood goalkeeper
Carlos Canas.
Less than four minutes into the second-half, the Panthers took a two-goal advantage, as Ryeong Choi roofed a shot into the top of the net on a rebound after Canas was able to get to the initial shot off the foot of Ebe Kudolo.
A furious Longwood rally ensued, as the Lancers carried the play the rest of the way. Miezan's marker in the 64th minute brought Longwood within a goal.
Following the goal, Longwood went into full-attack mode, searching for the game's tying goal. Palmer came up with a pair of big saves off of shots from
Christian Keilty and
Finnlay Wyatt late in the game with under six minutes to play.
Zach Crandall also had a pair of chances, including one from the middle of the box in the game's 89th minute, but narrowly missed wide of the target.
The Lancers will step out of conference Tuesday, Oct. 13, as the squad travels to George Washington. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
#GoWood
