FARMVILLE, Va. – Ball State junior Rachel Pereira came through with a golden goal off a penalty corner 48 seconds into overtime to send the Cardinals to a 2-1 win over Longwood Friday evening at Elizabeth Burger Jackson Field.
 
Pereira's goal put to rest a back-and-forth battle that saw Longwood (7-9, 2-3 MAC) and Ball State (3-12, 2-3 MAC) clamp down in a defensive struggle that endured beyond regulation. The game featured just 10 shots, with just five of those landing on goal, but penalty corners proved to be the difference for the Cardinals.
 
Both of Ball State's goals came off those set pieces, with Pereira initiating the first as the inserter on a 25th-minute goal by Haley Jolly, and then finishing off the game-winner in overtime.
 
The win is only Ball State's second over Longwood since the Lancers joined the MAC in 2014 and spoiled senior night for Longwood's four-woman senior class of Briana Greene, Clara Meschini, Olivia Wawrzyniak and Katie Wyman. Those four, all multi-year starters, have helped Longwood to a 36-31 overall record and a 13-10 record in the MAC over the past four years but had their latest outing upended by Pereira's golden goal.
 
"Obviously we're upset for our senior group. They deserved a victory today," said Longwood head coach Iain Byers. "They've put in four and five years of toil and strife, and it's very unfortunate to lose a close game like this at home on senior night. We still have one more MAC game, and we can win it to finish .500 in conference, which is one of our goals. We'll see where we stand after that."
 
Pereira' was the inserter on Ball State's first goal, connecting with Jenna McKune to set up Jolly for a go-ahead strike in the 26th minute. Longwood regrouped at halftime and responded less than three minutes into the third quarter when Meschini – also off a penalty corner – uncorked a bullet at Ball State's goal that Karly Harwood deflected into net for her team-leading ninth goal of the season.
 
With the score at 1-1, neither team budged in the midfield with both teams generating just two shots apiece until the end of regulation. However, after a foul by Longwood inside the arc early into extra time, the Cardinals did what few have been able to do this season and snuck a shot past Longwood senior goalkeeper Katie Wyman.
 
The overtime goal was the first golden goal Longwood has allowed this season and the Lancers' first since Villanova eked out a 2-1 win in extra time on Oct. 14, 2018.
 
Longwood has just one game remaining on its regular-season schedule, and it will be against MAC powerhouse Kent State next Saturday, Nov. 2, in Kent, Ohio. The Lancers will then await their postseason fate for the MAC Championship Tournament, which runs from Nov. 6-9 in Oxford, Ohio.
 
#GoWood