FARMVILLE, Va. – Mary Kate Levush did her best impression of a brick wall on Sunday night, and the Longwood women's soccer team earned a 1-1 draw on the road at Elon.
Goals (Assists)
56' – Longwood:
Julia Gill (
Kaley Unger)
79' – Elon: Jessica Carrieri (Isa Murdock)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Levush was incredible under intense pressure from a relentless Elon (3-2-2) side that peppered the goal with 31 shots.
Despite the repeated forays toward the net, Levush stood tall and stopped 17 of the 18 shots on goal she faced, breaking the school record for saves in the process.
After Levush and the Lancer defense kept the game scoreless in the first half,
Julia Gill staked Longwood (3-3-2) to a 1-0 lead early in the second half on the counterattack. The sophomore struck true with her left foot in the 56
th minute off an assist from
Kaley Unger for a 1-0 lead.
Elon's pressure finally paid off on a strike by Jessica Carrieri's goal in the 79
th minute, with the assist going to Isa Murdock.
However, Levush and the Lancer back line stood firm and kept it there to earn the road point.
WHAT THEY SAID:
"MK was an alien in goal tonight," said Longwood head coach
Todd Dyer about his senior goalkeeper's performance. "One of the best performances I've ever seen at the goalkeeper position. Her defenders and everyone worked hard in front of her, but she definitely drew a line in the sand and stood her ground."
"We scored a nice goal as well on a counter from back to front, and we also had a very positive response right after they tied the game up," Dyer added. "It was a battle and a test of character, and our whole squad met that challenge tonight."
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Levush's 17 saves were four more than the previous school record, most recently done by
Jordan Horacek in the fall of 2021. However, Horacek made 13 saves in a double-overtime draw.
Julia Gill scored her first goal of the season and second of her Lancer career. Her first came in Longwood's playoff match against Gardner-Webb a season ago.
The assist was
Kaley Unger's first of the season and third of her Lancer career.
Elon outshot Longwood 31-10, and 18 of those were on target.
The 31 shots were a season-high allowed by Longwood.
The Lancers have now tied back-to-back games following a 0-0 tie against Western Carolina at home on Friday, Sept. 8.
The two sides met for the first time since 2013, with this being the first tie between the two teams since Longwood made the jump to Division I play.
UP NEXT:
Longwood stays on the road with a trip to William & Mary on Thursday, Sept. 15. Kick-off is slated for 7 p.m.
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