FARMVILLE, Va. – Experience and youth combined perfectly for the Longwood men's soccer team on senior night on Saturday night in Farmville.
Freshman Filip Hinge and sophomore Leif VanSlyke combined for three goals while senior AJ Kmiec added two assists as Longwood (6-9,1-6 Big South) rewarded its seniors with a 3-1 victory over UNC Asheville.
Longwood controlled the pace of play for most of the night, and Kmiec's led the way on the right side of the field with a pair of assists. He doubled his career assist total in a stellar first half.
After Asheville (3-12-1, 2-5 Big South) took a 1-0 lead, Kmiec and senior defender Chase Quinn combined on the right side to push the ball up the field in the 29th minute. Kmeic found Leif VanSlyke at the top of the box. VanSlyke slotted it home for his first collegiate goal to even the score
"There was a different sense of spirit within the team," said Longwood head coach Jon Atkinson. "In other games, I think we overanalyze goals and allow that to take us off our game. Tonight there was a steely resolve about what the game meant and how we were going to go about it."
"We try to impose on the boys, whatever happens, next, we do something positive, next. There's nothing we can do about what happened. In the case of the Asheville goal, it was bit against the run of play and our boys responded marvelously."
Kmeic and Quinn struck again to give Longwood the lead less than two minutes later. Quinn tackled it away from a UNC Asheville midfielder and slipped a pass to Kmeic, who was sprinting to the corner. Kmeic sent a laser of a cross to Hinge ten-yards out, and Hinge buried it for a 2-1 lead.
"I knew it was Senior Night and I was excited," Kmeic said. "Tonight I played wing, I was able to express myself. I could do anything I wanted. I had my game face on. I knew what was on the line, and I couldn't be prouder."
"AJ Kmiec, he's quality, and we are going to miss him," Atkinson said. "You got two players on the right side that both had good games, Chase Quinn and AJ Kmiec. Both friends that have bonded well together, and it is quite fitting that those two finished their last home stand together. They played on the right side like men possessed. It was just a perfect ending."
Hinge struck again and helped seal the deal in the 73rd minute off a corner kick. The freshman poked home his second goal of the match off a Markus Gronli corner kick after VanSlyke dummied it in the box.
On the night, the Lancers outshot UNC Asheville 17-10. Jacob Reimers had a pair of saves in goal for Longwood.
"Phenomenal effort from the boys to come back from last week and come together as a team, said Aktinson. "We know it was a must win and something that we owed everyone involved in the program and we did that with good emphasis."
Longwood will continue their chase for a spot in the Big South Championship Tournament in their last match of the season. The Lancers will travel to Radford on Wednesday, November 6. First touch is set for 7 p.m.
#GoWood
