FARMVILLE, Va. - Junior forward Leonie Verstraete took an inlet pass from sophomore Olivia Wawrzyniak and fired a rocket into the backboard for the game-winning goal as the Lancers shutout VCU 1-0 to improve to 3-0 on the season. With the win, the Lancers are off to their best start in the Division I era, besting a 2-1 stretch they had to begin the 2016 season.

One week after scoring the game-winning, walk off goal against Villanova to open the season, the 5-7 junior provided the difference again for Longwood (3-0) with her one-touch goal in the 40th-minute to break a scoreless tie, shifting the momentum towards the Lancers and their stingy defense.


"I've been working with the coaches on having a quick touch, turnaround and fire a quick shot," said Verstraete, who did just that to beat VCU's Chessa Kownurko and put the ball in the net. "That felt good and the hard work paid off."

Wawrzyniak, who beat a defender before placing the ball perfectly on Verstraete's stick, picked up her first assist of the season after tallying five in a breakout freshman debut last year. Wawrzyniak's assist was also third of the season for Longwood, all three coming from three different players – Maddie Kendrick, Briana Greene and Wawrzyniak.

The early second-half goal was enough for Katie Wyman and the Lancer defense as she was strong all night for the blue and white in net, saving a season-high six shots and picking up her second shutout in as many games. Wyman also notched her fourth career shutout and improved her record to 7-2 dating back to her 2015 freshman campaign.

"We always have a great battle (with VCU), they're always a really tough team and local opponent so we always seem to enjoy our games," said 10^th-year head coach Iain Byers, who has the Lancers off to a 3-0 start behind two shutout performances. "We play each other a lot so we know each other well. There's a big rivalry there and the team is pumped, as they should be, to get the win."

The shutout was no small task for Wyman and the Lancer defense as the Rams controlled the ball for much of the opening 35 minutes sending nine shots towards the net, 12 total on the night.

"This was a very important win because VCU is always important in our season – they're a big rival – and now we're up to 3-0," Verstraete said. "This gives us a lot of confidence and if we keep going down this road, then I don't know how we can't be successful."

Wyman has been virtually flawless in 2017, allowing just one goal on 21 shots across three contests. In those three contests, Wyman boasts a 0.40 goals allowed average and has a .900 save percentage, deterring nine of 10 opponents' shots on goal.
  Friday night's win over the Rams broke a four-game skid in the series and was the Lancers' first win since 2014 in a 3-1 victory that also came at home. It was also the first time the Lancers had back-to-back shutouts since the 2015 season when they accomplished that feat versus Missouri State and Saint Louis to close the regular season.

VCU controlled possession for most of the first half, but were unable to breakthrough while Longwood's attack woke up and fired six of their seven shots in the decisive second half. Verstraete led the Lancer attack with four shots, two on goal while Lil-Sophie Achterwinter, who delivered Sunday's game-winner at Towson, fired two shots, one on goal and Wawrzyniak fired a shot on goal.

Emily McNamara paced the VCU offense as she sent eight shots, four on goal in her 61 minutes on the field. Jamee Albright had two shots, one on goal for the Rams while Spencer Tossone and Rebecca Ward also sent a shot each.

Longwood hits the road for a Sunday morning affair with Dartmouth in a neutral site bout at Delaware. Game time is set for 10:45 a.m. from Newark, Del.

"Dartmouth only played (their first game) today because they're in the Ivy League, so they're a week behind everyone else," Byers said of the Lancers' next opponent in Dartmouth and the quick turnaround. "The team is very receptive to the concepts and ideas that we're doing, and we can throw them to (the team) two or three days out and they pick it up pretty quickly."

#GoWood