FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood women's soccer took its lumps in non-conference play, struggling to a 3-6 record with four one-goal losses.
 
It turns out, they learned something along the way.
 
Longwood (4-6-0, 1-0-0 Big South) made a statement to the Big South, dominating Gardner-Webb 5-0 in the conference opener Saturday afternoon at the Longwood Athletics Complex as part of the team's best offensive performance since joining the league five years ago.
 
All five of those goals came during a 20-minute onslaught in the second half in which the Lancers got goals from four different players, including the igniter from sophomore Sheyenne Stretz that sparked the offensive explosion.
 
"We said once we got one, the flood gates would open," Stretz said.
 
Open they did, as Stretz' go-ahead score at the 50:50 mark was the first of five consecutive goals from a Lancer team that avenged last season's 1-1 double-overtime draw against Gardner-Webb (3-6-2, 0-1-0 Big South) with their highest-scoring game of the Big South era.
 
Kathryn Miller had two of those goals, Janese Quick had another, and Sydney Wallace punched one in for the second straight game to give the Lancers their second straight win and a win in the Big South opener for the second straight season. Led by those four goal-scorers and 12 players who put shots on goal, the Lancers attacked Gardner-Webb goalkeeper Keely Brown from all angles, hammering 20 shots on goal at the second-year starter.
 
Brown did her best to survive the attack, deflecting 13 saves across 79 minutes of action, including numerous diving stops that led to a first-half shutout. She finally gave way in the second half, however, after Longwood outshot Gardner-Webb 16-1 in the first 25 minutes after halftime.
 
"This week we spent a lot of extra time on finishing," said Stretz, whose goal and assist were both the second of her career. "All of us forwards were out there an hour before practice working on striking the ball and finishing. Today we were just there. We felt it."
 
Even when Brown deflected shots from close range, the Lancers crashed the net to finish off the job. Miller's first goal in the 53rd minute came on a rebound from Stretz' shot in the box, and Wallace's rally-capping score in the 71st minute followed a blocked shot from Kelly Almeida.
 
Quick diversified the scoring, punching in a free kick from just outside the box to extend the lead to 3-0 in the 67th minute. She lifted the shot over the four-player wall 10 yards in front of her and bent it just past Brown's outstretched hand into the upper left corner.
 
Miller matched Quick just one minute later by lifting a shot from the right side of the box just over Brown's hand again for a 4-0 lead.
 
"That's how good this group can be on any given day," said head coach Todd Dyer, who is leading the Lancers in pursuit of their first Big South Championship. "After a scoreless first half that was an amazing response by our team, they were rewarded with some incredible goals."
 
On the opposite end of the field, Maria Kirby registered her second shutout of the year with an eight-save performance across 90 minutes of action. She got help from the backbone of Longwood's defense in center backs Sydney Wallace and Jayden Metzger, who each put up 90-minute efforts to limit the Runnin' Bulldogs to just eight shots on goal and not a single corner kick.
 
"To earn a shutout as well and win in our first conference game is an ideal start for us," Dyer said. "Now we need to stay motivated, fix our mistakes and continue to build and prepare for our next game against the defending Big South champions."
 
Reigning champion Liberty was selected as the repeat Big South frontrunner in the preseason coaches poll and will welcome Longwood to Lynchburg, Va., this Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 4 p.m. The matchup pits two of the league's predicted top four teams against one another in a series that has been decided 1-0 in favor of Liberty in each of the past three matchups.
 
"People were thinking we weren't a big team and that this was a rebuilding year for us," Stretz said. "I think we've proven them wrong. We showed today that we're going to put up a fight this year and we want to go all the way."
 
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