OXFORD, Ohio – It took the reigning Mid-American Conference champions to slow down Longwood's high-powered offense, but Miami defended its status as the MAC frontrunner with a 3-0 shutout against the Lancers Friday afternoon.
 
The win made Miami (4-6, 2-0 MAC) the first team this season to shut out the Lancers (4-3, 1-1), who entered the game as the MAC's top scoring team with 2.7 goals per game. The RedHawks limited Longwood's scoring chances throughout, holding the Lancers to a season-low two shots for the entire game.
 
As a result, Miami extended its winning streak against MAC foes to 17 consecutive games dating back to 2019. Included in that run are back-to-back MAC Championships and a perfect 12-0 home record against MAC teams, of which Longwood became the latest victim at the Miami Field Hockey Complex.
 
"We are disappointed with our performance today," said Longwood head coach Iain Byers, whose Lancers were picked to finish No. 3 in the MAC Preseason Coaches Poll behind perennial frontrunners Miami and Kent State.
 
"We certainly did not play as well as we can, and we will have to play better in conference if we want to achieve our goals."
 
Miami got its goals from three different players, beginning with Kennedy Vinson's finish off a penalty corner in the final minute of the half and continuing with Becca Kline's follow-up in the 32nd minute and Paula Pena's insurance goal with just over two minutes left in the game. Kline finished with a game-high three points after assisting on Pena's late-game exclamation point.
 
Meanwhile, Longwood's reliable set-piece offense had few chances, as Miami's defense in the circle yielded just two penalty corner attempts. RedHawks goalkeeper Isabelle Perese saved the only one of those that resulted in a shot on goal, which came off Lancer scoring leader Luna Lopez in the 42nd minute.
 
The loss is only Longwood's second in the past five games, with the last of those coming 2-1 against No. 20 Old Dominion on Sept. 10.
 
The Lancers will have little time to bounce back from the defeat with a neutral-site non-conference matchup slated Saturday at 2 p.m. against Saint Francis on Miami's home field. That game precedes back-to-back MAC battles against Central Michigan in Farmville on Oct. 1 and a high-profile showdown against Kent State in Kent, Ohio, on Oct. 8.
 
#GoWood