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Longwood University Athletics

Leif VanSlyke
Mike Kropf
3
Winner Longwood LONG (1-3-1, 0-2-1)
1
VMI VMI (2-3-0, 0-0-0)
Winner
Longwood LONG
(1-3-1, 0-2-1)
3
Final
1
VMI VMI
(2-3-0, 0-0-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Longwood LONG 2 1 3
VMI VMI 1 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

VanSlyke's Brace, Gronli's Blast Power Longwood Past VMI 3-1

Junior Duo Combine For Three Goals In Lancer Road Win

LEXINGTON, Va. – Juniors led the charge for Longwood men's soccer past Virginia Military Institute on Wednesday afternoon at Patchin Field. Leif VanSlyke and Markus Gronli combined to score three goals and add an assist in the 3-1 win, Longwood's first of the season.
 
VanSlyke returned from injury with a vengeance after missing the past three matches due to injury, pegging the opening and closing goals for the Lancers. Meanwhile, Gronli added a goal and assisted on VanSlyke's second goal of the night, his second straight contest with a goal and an assist.
 
Longwood (1-3-1, 0-2-1 Big South) controlled the possession and outshot VMI 18-8 on the game and only allowing one shot on goal after halftime. The 18 shots and three goals are both season highs for Longwood through five matches.
 
"It was better today, and I'm happy for the boys to get off the 'Mark' for the season," said Longwood head coach Jon Atkinson. "It helps the 'feel goods' when we dial into working into a true team identity. This takes time, it takes good kids, and I'm thankful I have a bunch of them as we navigate the journey together."
 
With Longwood playing its fourth road match in five outings, VanSlyke gave the Lancers an early lead following a huge stop by freshman goalkeeper Lucas Muller in his first collegiate start. Muller made a diving save on a VMI penalty kick, sending it off the post in the seventh minute. Eleven minutes later, Ander Etxaniz curled a pass onto VanSlyke inside the box, and VanSlyke rumbled from one side of the six to the other before slotting it past the keeper for a 1-0 lead.
 
VMI (2-3) answered with Robert Castro's header into the back of the net off a Peter Sepulveda cross that tied the score in the 25th minute, Castro's first of the season.
 
The Lancers responded when Gronli found space up the left side and beat his man. He cut it back inside the 18 and punched it home in the 34th minute for a 2-1 lead that the Lancers took into halftime. The goal was his second of the season.
 
In the final 45 minutes, the Lancer defense suffocated VMI's opportunities, only giving up one shot on goal that Muller snuffed out. Muller finished the night with five saves and earned the win.
 
Meanwhile, VanSlyke added some insurance in the 80th minute off a perfect feed by Gronli. Tyrique Lake weighted a through ball perfectly on the right side in tight space, and Gronli lobbed it onto the back side of the six where VanSlyke lurked. The junior cranked it home for a 3-1 lead that effectively sealed the deal.
 
"VMI's field isn't an easy environment," Atkinson said. "I thought we showed some good moments which could have translated to better outcomes, but VMI dug in hard and competed. We weren't without our 'moments', notably surviving a PK which I'm sure would have made the game more of an uphill battle, but that's part of the growth phase of a young team. We will take it and move on hungry for more in this short season."
 
The Lancers are back at home on Sunday as they return to Big South play. They host USC Upstate at 4 p.m. at the Longwood Athletics Complex, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
#GoWood
 
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