FARMVILLE, Va. – A slugfest between Longwood men's soccer and East Tennessee State ended in heartbreak for the Lancer men in their season opener in front of a spirited crowd at the Longwood Athletic Complex.
Tarik Pannholzer drove home the only goal of the match to break a 0-0 deadlock in the 84
th minute of an exciting, back-and-forth contest, giving
ETSU (1-0) its first road win to open a season in the first ever meeting between the two teams.
"We are a little disappointed to not get the result in front of our home fans who were incredible tonight," said Longwood head coach
Jon Atkinson, now in his 17
th season at the helm. "I think we deserved something from the game—we showed a lot of grit and character, not to mention large periods where we pressed back a very solid ETSU outfit who should do well this year. For a first game, I'm more than encouraged and feel we are moving in the right direction."
The match was explosive as both sides were aggressive and matched each other up and down the pitch, combining for 27 shots. The Lancers (0-1) ripped off 17 shots, including a stretch early in the second half that saw Longwood power forward for eight straight shots in the first 21 minutes.
James Manns and
Tosin Ayokunle helped key the aggressive approach after halftime by injecting energy up top, with the two combining for three shots while making numerous dangerous runs forward.
However, it was Pannholzer who struck first on a quick-hitter off a goal kick. Jack Perry flicked the ball in the air to Carlos
Portas Chercoles who deftly slipped the ball into the 18-yard box where ran onto it and slotted it into the corner.
That goal overshadowed a Longwood attack that was relentless and forced a pair of team saves in the final 45 minutes. The first stop came in the 64
th minute as Dominic Foster denied a shot from Leif
VanSlyke. Ayokunle was similarly turned aside after his shot to the back post was staved off by Perry in the 78
th minute.
In total, 10 different players posted a shot for Longwood, and the Lancers outshot ETSU 17-10 while also earning six corners to ETSU's five.
Longwood is back in action on Tuesday as they stay in Farmville to host in-state foe Virginia Military Institute. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be aired on ESPN+.
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