FARMVILLE, Va. – The nation's second-highest scoring offense was on full display Friday when first-place Winthrop remained undefeated in conference play with a 15-4 Big South win over Longwood at the Longwood Athletics Complex.
 
Winthrop (13-2, 5-0 Big South) entered the game averaging 16.00 goals per game – second nationally behind only Florida's 16.06 per game – and used that high-powered attack to take down a Longwood team that was on a three-game winning streak and had held three straight opponents to single-digit scoring.
 
The Eagles got four goals each from Katie Clarke and Kristen Shriver and scored on 15 of their 28 shots. Goalkeeper Alaina Girani, the Big South leader in goals against average and save percentage, stopped seven of Longwood's 11 shots on goal to hold the Lancers to their lowest scoring total since a 15-4 loss to 10th-ranked Louisville on March 25. Center circle specialist Hayley Krause won 13 of the game's 18 draws to help Winthrop win the possession battle and outshoot the Lancers 28-14.
 
"We simply didn't play well and execute today in any facet of the game," said Longwood head coach Elaine Jones, whose Lancers had outscored their last three opponents 55-15 before Friday's loss. "Unfortunately it was just one of those days. We can't dwell on it, though. We need to regroup quickly so we're ready for High Point on Sunday."
 
The win keeps undefeated Winthrop tied for the top spot in the Big South standings alongside Liberty and pushes Longwood (5-10, 3-2 Big South) into a tie for third with Coastal Carolina and High Point. The Lancers have just two games remaining before the Big South Tournament, facing High Point on the road Sunday and hosting Liberty Friday at 6 p.m.
 
Key to the Eagles' success Friday was shutting out Longwood's leading scorers, Katie McHugh and Sarah Butler. McHugh, the reigning Big South Offensive Player of the Week, had rattled off 18 goals in her past 18 games but managed just one shot against a Winthrop defense that allows a league-low 7.87 goals per game. Butler, whose 32 goals are the second most on the team, also found just one shooting window on the day.
 
With Longwood's offense in check, Winthrop staked a 9-0 lead out of the gate and ended the game on a 5-0 run. All four of Longwood's goals came during a 16-minute run from the end of the first half through the start of the second when Sara Jacobson scored the first of her two goals inside the final 10 minutes of the first half. She added another with 3:32 remaining before halftime as part of a 3-0 run that would be Longwood's last time finding the back of the Winthrop net.
 
The loss derails a late-season surge for the Lancers, who had won at least three of their first four conference games for the second straight year. Longwood will look to get back on track Sunday at High Point, which is coming off a 16-15 overtime loss to Liberty Friday.
 
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