RICHMOND, Va. – After having their season-opener delayed due to inclement weather, Longwood women's lacrosse kicked off their season on the road, dropping a 20-8 decision to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) on Saturday afternoon.
 
Keriann McTavish, the Rams leading scorer with 20 goals and 32 points in seven games last season, led VCU (2-0) with six goals and three ground balls. Fellow senior Anna Koniencki added four goals for the Rams, as the veteran pair led a balanced VCU attack that saw six players register multiple goals for the Rams, as their 21-9 advantage in draw controls led to a 42-26 edge in shots.
 
The strong offensive effort from VCU offset a strong opening game performance by senior Emma Johnson, who tallied four goals for the second consecutive game against the Commonwealth-neighbor Rams. The Lancer captain registered at least four goals in five of Longwood's eight games in 2020.
 
Joining her on the score sheet was Haley Moomau, who tallied two goals on five shots while securing three ground balls. Preseason All-Big South pick Dana Joss notched a goal and an assist, Taylor Blenckstone recorded two assists, and freshman Emily Cate Smith scored her first collegiate goal in her career debut.

"It was great to get back out on the field and compete again," said Longwood head coach Elaine Jones. "That part was fun. Unfortunately, we didn't put our best foot forward in our first game back and I thought we played a lot more on the timid side, which caused us to make too many unforced errors. VCU had a game under their belt so they were already a step ahead of us."
 
In total, seven players made their first appearance for the youthful Lancers, with five freshmen making their collegiate debuts. The newcomers include sophomore transfer Kylee Wright, her made her first career start in goal while recording 14 saves. In front of her was a Lancer defense that had seven different players force turnovers, and eight separate players scoop ground balls.
 
However, the talented VCU offense which ranked second in the Atlantic 10 conference in goals per game in 2020 kept the pressure on Longwood, burying 5-of-9 free position attempts and using two-separate 5-0 goal runs to notch their second win of the season.

"Our team is resilient," added Jones. We will keep learning lessons and growing from each game, whether we win or lose."
 
Up next for the Lancers is a trip to Fairfax, Va. on Saturday, Feb. 20 to take on George Mason. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+, kicking off at 2 p.m.
 
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