FARMVILLE, Va. – Playing in front of dozens of alumni from the program's 1970s teams, Longwood field hockey channeled the dominance of some of the best squads of that era to rout LIU Brooklyn 4-0 Saturday afternoon at Elizabeth Burger Jackson Field.
 
The surging Lancers (6-1) put on a show in front of dozens of former players who returned to campus for Saturday's 1970s field hockey reunion and extended the program's best start of the Division I era by handling the upstart Blackbirds (0-7) whistle-to-whistle.
 
"They were cheering us on, dancing out there. They were loving it," head coach Iain Byers said of the alumni. "It was great to have them back on campus, and we're all really excited to share in their glory from when they were here."
 
The Lancers earned some glory of their own, using a second straight multi-goal game from All-MAC forward Edel Nyland and a stifling defensive effort keyed by All-MAC defender Lil-Sophie Achterwinter to outshoot LIU Brooklyn 34-5 and allow just one shot on goal. Nyland, who broke the school's Division I record with 18 goals last season, was one of three Lancers to score Saturday, joining sophomores Olivia Wawrzyniak, who earned the game-winner with her ninth-minute goal, and Briana Greene, who opened the second half with another score in the 47th minute.
 
The win is the most recent in what has become Longwood field hockey's best start of the Division I era, a 6-1 record that bests even that of the 1975-76 team who opened that year 4-1-2 and went on to post a program-best 16-5-4 mark and finish that year ranked No. 6 in the nation. Members of that team were in attendance Saturday, witnessing an all-around dominant performance that saw the Lancers hold LIU Brooklyn without a shot for the first 55 minutes of the game.  
 
It wasn't until the clock ticked past 15 minutes that the Blackbirds finally got a clean look at Longwood's goal, but keeper Katie Wyman threw her body at the ball to disrupt Blackbird midfielder Jenna Chrabolowski's breakaway, and Lancer reserves Mia Leeman and Elle Richardson -- who both entered the game less than two minutes prior -- blocked the follow-up attempt in front of an open net to end the threat.
 
That was the lone shot on goal the Lancers allowed, marking the second time this season they have held an opponent to just one shot on goal and the fifth time they have allowed fewer than four shots on goal.
 
"It's obviously the best thing that can happen if the defense doesn't touch the ball," Achterwinter said. "We're trying to move up the field a bit more too, so we were happy with how it worked out today."

That defensive pressure has been the Lancers' calling card this season, producing the Mid-American Conference's highest scoring margin (+1.45), lowest goals against average (1.24) and fewest shots allowed per game (7.4). Longwood has given up just six goals in seven games, the eighth fewest in the nation. Key to that backfield effort Saturday were Achterwinter, fellow senior Kate Colley and sophomore Clara Meschini, who handed engineered Longwood's MAC-leading third of the season, also tied for the second most in the NCAA this season.
 
But while the 2017 Lancers' groundbreaking start the season has bested even the 1975 team's, Achterwinter noted that the team still has their sights set on the next game, which will bring MAC foe Central Michigan to Farmville for the conference opener.  
 
"It feels good, but we're just trying to concentrate on next week and our first MAC game," said Achterwinter. "6-1 doesn't mean anything if we can't get the MAC wins."
 
That game will begin the Lancers' pursuit of their second MAC Championship Tournament berth, the first of which they earned last season with a third-place finish in the conference standings. Saturday's win over LIU Brooklyn served as the team's final tune-up before beginning that six-game MAC gauntlet.
 
"We talked about how we approached the Davidson game and some changes we wanted to make, and they made those changes today. It was a good game all around and a nice final game before we go into conference next week. Central Michigan is going to be tough, so it's good to get in that groove."
 
Longwood has a full week to prepare for that MAC showdown, which will tip off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, as the first of back-to-back-to-back Lancer athletics contests at the Longwood Athletics Complex. Women's soccer will follow at 4 p.m. against Big South foe High Point, followed by the men's soccer team's 7 p.m. kickoff against George Mason.
 
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