ROCK HILL, S.C. – Behind a four-save effort from Maria Kirby and marathon performances from defenders Alana Mackey and Haylea Witz, Longwood recorded its Big South-leading sixth shutout of the season in a scoreless, double-overtime draw against Winthrop at Manchester Meadows.
 
Playing their second straight overtime game, Mackey and Witz anchored the back line for the entire 110 minutes to help Longwood (5-5-1, 1-1-1 Big South) limit the Eagles to just four shots on goal. Kirby corralled all four of those shots en route to earning her fourth shutout of the year, moving her into a tie for the Big South lead despite starting seven of Longwood's 11 games.
 
"Under extreme playing conditions with the heat on the artificial surface, we earned a shutout on the road," said Longwood head coach Todd Dyer. "We created a few chances on the day, but we still need to be sharper and finish those. This was a gutsy team performance, and we definitely got some positives from the game."
 
The Eagles (4-4-2, 1-1-1 Big South) entered the game winners of three of their past five with multiple goals in all three of those wins, but could do little against a Longwood team that has shut out four of their past six opponents. Winthrop countered Longwood's defensive effort with a shutout of their own, thwarting four Lancer attempts on goal behind keeper Karly Gustafson's first shutout of the year.
 
Gustafson and Kirby dueled in their respective nets in the final 40 minutes of the game, combining for four saves after the 70-minute mark in regulation. Longwood put the pressure on in the closing minutes but came up empty when freshman Emily Hunter's 107th-minute header sailed wide and Gustafson saved Bridget Bergquist's final shot on net.
 
The draw keeps Longwood inside the Big South top five and puts the Lancers back on track after dropping an overtime effort against preseason Big South No. 2 Coastal Carolina Saturday.
 
Longwood will now return briefly to non-conference competition with a Saturday road trip to Francis Marion. That matchup precedes a Big South rivalry showdown at the Longwood Athletics Complex against Radford on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.

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