FARMVILLE, Va. – Midfielder
Finnlay Wyatt notched a pair of assists, as Longwood earned a 2-1 victory over Mary Washington in its final tune-up for the regular season Monday at the Athletics Complex.
Wyatt, a product of Richmond, Va., has been an offensive force for Longwood from his spot in the midfield, ending the preseason with a goal and two assists for a team-leading four points in the two games.
The Lancers tallied a goal in each half, as senior
Carl Carpenter picked up his second victory of the preseason. Carpenter made one save on three shots faced throughout the period. Meanwhile,
Carlos Canas came on in the second half to complete the victory, as he notched five saves on nine Mary Washington shots.
Each of Longwood's two goals on the night came off a corner kick, as the Lancers were able to take advantage of the 9-4 margin in corners while also enjoying a 17-12 margin in shots throughout the contest.
"It's something we look to," said head coach
Jon Atkinson when asked about scoring a number of goals during the preseason off set pieces. "It's an important part of the game and is something that can't be overlooked."
Alex Waite opened the scoring in the 34th minute of play, as he was able to send a header off a Wyatt cross to the back post to give the Lancers the edge.
Less than seven minutes into the second half, Michael Marqulis gave the Lancers a 2-0 advantage after Wyatt sent a cross into the box off a short corner and Marqulis was able to beat the Mary Washington defender to the ball to add to the Lancer lead.
Mary Washington spoiled Longwood's shutout bid in the 85th minute, as Jacob Burke scored on a header off a free kick.
Longwood will now have three days to prepare for the start of the 2015 regular season which is set to get underway Friday, Aug. 28 with a match against in-state foe VMI. Kickoff from the Athletics Complex is set for 6 p.m.
"These exhibitions have helped prepare our student-athletes for the regular season, but we have some things we need to work on and we'll address some of those as we prepare for VMI," Atkinson said.
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