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Longwood University Athletics

Longwood celebration
Mike Kropf
2
Winner Longwood LWD (6-9-2, 4-3-1)
1
Radford RAD (5-11-0, 3-5-0)
Winner
Longwood LWD
(6-9-2, 4-3-1)
2
Final
1
Radford RAD
(5-11-0, 3-5-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Longwood LWD 0 2 2
Radford RAD 1 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Second-Half Surge Carries Longwood to 2-1 Win at Radford

Wilkinson, Gronli Lead Longwood in Gritty Comeback Effort

RADFORD, Va. – Big South postseason men's soccer is headed back to Farmville after a gritty comeback effort by Longwood's men's soccer team on Thursday night.
 
The Lancers (6-9-2, 4-3-1 Big South) battled back from a first-half one-goal deficit and took down in-state rival Radford 2-1 to close the regular season. The win vaulted Longwood into sole possession of third place in the Big South standings, tying the program's best finish in Big South play set back in 2013. That sets the stage for the Lancers to host the first round of the Big South Championship Tournament on Sunday.
 
"This is a great night for the program," said Longwood head coach Jon Atkinson. "Third place is an incredible achievement and sets us up nicely for a home tie Sunday. There was a lot at stake for both teams tonight, and no quarter was given on either side."
 
Markus Gronli and Ben Wilkinson played the role of hero on offense for the Lancers, with the dependable Gronli burying a penalty-kick equalizer and Wilkinson pegging the game winner less than two minutes later.
 
The Lancer back line of Jonas Kalchner, Dan Ahrens, Sawyer Meehan and Wilkinson along with goalkeeper Jacob Reimers held up from that point on and didn't buckle despite some tough circumstances late. They played with 10 men for the final 10 minutes following a second yellow shown to Leif Van Slyke on a bang-bang play in the midfield.
 
Despite the pressure, the Lancers fended off a desperate Radford (5-11, 3-5 Big South) side that was fighting for its playoff lives. With the loss, the Highlanders were eliminated from postseason contention.
 
"I thought we did enough in the balance of play, but it wasn't an easy passage by any stretch, made harder by seeing ourselves fall behind but having the character to bounce back before seeing out a tense last 15," Atkinson said. "I'm delighted for the boys. They have worked hard, come a long way and deserved this feeling tonight."
 
Longwood had the run of play early in the match, and Justin Wilson was dynamic on the attack in the opening frame. The graduate student hit the post within the first two minutes of the action, and Longwood had the first three shots of the match. However, it was Radford who struck first. The Highlanders earned a penalty kick against the run of play, and Octavio Ocampo buried the effort to give his side the 1-0 lead in the 25th minute.
 
The Lancers came out with renewed vigor to start the second half, and they would not be denied early. Wilson raced into the box for a header and was taken down from behind to earn a penalty kick in the 51st minute. Gronli calmly slotted home the equalizer for his team-leading seventh goal of the season.
 
Lightning struck again less than two minutes later, this time with Wilkinson's first collegiate goal. He raced forward from his right back spot to polish off a cross from Tosin Ayokunle, and the Lancers led 2-1 in the 52nd minute.
 
While Radford posed questions for the Lancer defense over the final 38 minutes, the Lancer defense had the answer each time to turn away the Highlanders.
 
Now, the Lancers head into postseason play with a home match for the second time in team history and first time since 2013. The third-seeded Lancers will host sixth-seeded Gardner-Webb on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. The match will be aired on ESPN+.
 
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