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. Â Â
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
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