BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Leading by just two at halftime, Campbell used a second-half offensive outburst to pull away from Longwood women's lacrosse in a 19-8 win on Saturday afternoon.
 
With the win, their fourth straight, Campbell improved to 5-1 in Big South play as they will advance to the Big South tournament starting on April 30. Three Camels recorded hat tricks, while 11 different players scored for the balanced Campbell offense that entered the game ranked second in the Big South in scoring with 12.38 goals per game.

"I thought we competed well in the first half, but I knew Campbell would come out firing in the second half and would capitalize more on our mistakes, which they did," said Longwood head coach Elaine Jones. "Unfortunately, this year was a true rebuilding year. Losing such a dominant group of starters and seniors last year left us with lots of gaps to fill."
 
Leading just 7-5 at the halftime break, the Camels turned up the offensive pressure early in the second half. Campbell scored the first three goals of the period, using a 3-0 run over the first 1:59 to extend their lead to 10-5.
 
Emma Johnson, who ended with four goals to lead the Lancers, and Claire Libby halted the run by scoring consecutive goals to get the Lancers back within three, 10-7, with 24:20 to play.

However, Campbell responded with a 9-1 run to close the game—Olivia Holmann scored her three goals in that 20:32 stretch, while five Camels combined for the other six goals of the game-sealing run.
 
Johnson's four goals, which tied a season-high, led a Lancer offense that had five different goal scorers. Taylor Blenckstone, Jade O'Connor, Libby, and Haley Moomau all scored once, while Dana Joss racked up a season-high four assists. Joss, a graduate senior, also led the team with four draw controls, and tied for the team lead with three ground balls with Johnson and Lauren Cerretani.
 
In total, Campbell held an edge in shots of 37-25, including 28-17 in shots on goal. Kylee Wright made nine stops in net for Longwood, while Alex Salim made seven saves while allowing just five goals to lead Campbell—Salim entered Saturday's game as the Big South leader in save percentage and saves per game, while ranking second in goals-against average. The Camels also held a pivotal edge in draw controls of 21-7, as Julianna Sanchez reached double-digits for the second-straight game with a game-high 10 herself.
 
Saturday's finale wrapped up Longwood's 2021 season and served as the swan song for the careers of five graduating Lancers in Joss, Johnson, Blenckstone, O'Connor, and Riley Hayden. This group led Longwood to 20 wins over the past four seasons, including a program-best second place finish in the Big South in 2019.

"I credit Dana for returning for her fifth year and showing up every day, rain or shine, to do what she could to help the team compete," added Jones. "It is a tough way to finish such an outstanding career, but I am so appreciative of her  dedication to the program, and I am glad I had the opportunity to coach her one more year. Along with Emma, Taylor, and Hannah, these seniors represented the competitive heart of our team. Their leadership, belief in the program, and their  attitude of always striving to achieve excellence, set a high standard for the underclassmen to follow.

"I'm also thankful to Jade, our graduating junior, who battled back from injury and was able to successfully return to the field, and Riley, a senior, who agreed to jump onboard as an additional goalie for the spring season." 
 
Johnson finished with the team lead in goals with 30, adding the second-most ground balls with 29. Joss tallied 19 goals, 15 assists, and led the team with 53 draw controls. Blenckstone scored 14 goals while leading the team with 22 assists, while O'Connor tallied eight goals and 12 points. Goalkeeper Riley Hayden appeared in four games and made two starts, totaling 13 saves.  

"I'd like to thank all six graduates for their innumerable contributions both on and off the field, and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors," said Jones. 
 
With their 2021 slate complete, the Lancers will shift their attention to their 2022 campaign for their next action.
 
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