FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood's field hockey squad responded to a 96-degree heat wave with some firepower of their own Friday afternoon, torching Towson 2-0 for a dominant season-opening win at the Longwood Athletics Complex.
 
On a day when temperatures surpassed 100 degrees at field level, the Lancers (1-0) put on a blistering offensive display by outshooting Towson 27-1 with 15 of those shots on target. The first career goal from sophomore Leonie Verstraete gave the Lancers a 1-0 lead, followed by the second career goal from senior Jordan Chapman, who put in a second-chance shot off a penalty corner at the end of the first half.
 
"Great way to start the season," said seventh-year head coach Iain Byers. "We've done a lot of work on a couple things this preseason, really just focusing on a few elements, and it all came together today.
 
"Towson's always a tough team that plays really good hockey. They defended the circle well. We controlled the game, which was our goal. We would have liked a few more goals, but every time always wants that. It's one of our better performances to start the season, for sure."
 
Longwood allowed Towson (0-1) just one shot the entire 70 minutes to open the year with a shutout for the fourth time in the program's 10-year Division I era. Led by a 12-shot effort from Verstraete, the Lancers kept the ball on Towson's half of the field for the majority of the second half.
 
"What changed for us this year is during the summer, everyone worked so hard and came in fit, and we've gotten even fitter," said Verstraete, who started and played 56 minutes in Friday's heat. "We did our conditioning test a couple days ago, and we broke some records. We work hard, we don't give up and we really get along. We're just 20 really good friends. I think that's what's made us such a good team so far."
 
Senior goalkeeper Lauren Bernard earned the shutout, the fourth of her career, thanks to a backline anchored by Chapman and the junior duo of Lil-Sophie Achterwinter and Kate Colley. Towson's lone shot marked the Lancers' fewest attempts Longwood allowed in a game in the Division I era and the first time during that 10-year span that the Lancers spent an entire game without giving up a shot on goal.
 
The win propels Longwood into an early-season gauntlet that features five games in 10 days, three of which come on the road. The Lancers' next matchup less than 48 hours from Friday's win when Saint Louis steps into Longwood Athletics Complex for an 11 a.m. meeting Sunday. Longwood then hits the road for a four-game road swing that begins at Commonwealth rival James Madison on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
 
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