CLINTON, S.C. – Longwood men's soccer built an impregnable fortress on Sunday afternoon at Presbyterian in a physical, intense struggle. Facing a PC squad that had fired home 10 goals through two games, the Lancers stayed rock steady along the back line for 110 minutes to earn the 0-0 draw on the road.
 
The back line for Longwood (0-1-1, 0-1-1 Big South) blocked four shots, with Dan Ahrens, Wes Forst, and Sawyer Meehan playing every single minute, and Ben Wilkinson and Mason Butcher both topped 85. For Senior goalkeeper Jacob Reimers swallowed up the four shots that managed to squeeze past the Lancers for the team's first shutout of the 2021 spring season.
 
"That was as typical a Big South game as you are likely to see," said Longwood head coach Jon Atkinson. "Two teams very committed and competing hard throughout for their schools. It's never easy to pick up points on the road, and especially against a tough PC team. To get a point shows character, and I'm delighted our boys dug deep and ground out a draw for all their effort."
 
Yet Presbyterian (2-0-1, 0-0-1 Big South) proved every bit as formidable on defense, with the Blue Hose limiting Longwood to eight shots as goalkeeper Valentin Kliebe turned aside the four that were on frame.
 
The game featured more fouls than shots, with the two sides being whistled for 36 combined fouls to a total of 21 shots, as the juicy scoring opportunities were few and far between.
 
"It wasn't easy conditions, and the game may not score high in style, but there was plenty of substance as well as enough chances to say we could have grabbed all three points," Atkinson said. "But maybe that would have been tough on PC who equally played their part. Our squad played their part well and will need to continue to grow as the games come thick and fast."
 
Two of Longwood's best scoring chances came in double overtime, with Markus Gronli getting a clean look off from about 23 yards out less than two minutes in, but Kliebe scooped it up. The second came with about three minutes left, as the Lancers put together a nifty counterattack. Wilkinson motored up the right side and sent a low cross that rolled through the six-yard box in front of the goal, but it was just half a step ahead of a hard-charging Kedus Michael. After Longwood recollected it on the opposite side and crossed it back in, Dylan Matheny gave it a go on a header, but it was just a bit high.
 
The Lancer defense stuffed Presbyterian's final chance in the game, a shot by Phillimon Bedard-Khalid with less than two minutes left, and Reimers had a save early in overtime on a tight angle shot.
 
"We have work to do as there are still a few areas we need to improve, but let's recover and get ready for this week's slate with a positive mindset," said Atkinson.
 
Longwood has added a non-conference test this week and heads back out on the road to UNC Greensboro on Thursday afternoon. Kick-off is set for 3 p.m. in Greensboro.
 
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