FARMVILLE, Va. – Sophia Passa was almost unstoppable on Wednesday, and Riley McDonald slotted in as a perfect complement. The duo combined for nine of Longwood's 10 goals as the Lancers (2-4) won 10-7 over George Mason, who had been off to the best start in team history.
 
The Lancer defense, meanwhile, kept a lid on an explosive George Mason (6-3) side that was off to one of its best starts in team history.
 
Top LWU Performers:
Sophia Passa: 5G, 2GB, 1CT
Riley McDonald: 4G, 1A, 2DC
Emily Cate Smith: 1G, 4A, 1CT
Bridget Robinson: 8SV, 7GA
Julia Koenig: 3GB, 3CT, 1DC
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
The Lancer defense was sensational in the first 30 minutes, holding a George Mason (6-3) team that had been one of the top offenses in the Big South to one goal in the first half. Bridget Robinson also posted a strong effort in goal with eight saves and a trio of ground balls, and the Lancers held GMU's top scorer, Shannon Tuozzo, without a goal.
 
Meanwhile, McDonald and Riley did the heavy lifting while Smith kept feeding the beasts.
 
After a defensive struggle in the first quarter, Passa put the Lancers on the board with 1:07 to go in the frame.
 
While George Mason equalized in the second, Longwood responded with 12 excellent minutes to close the half. During that stretch, the Lancers ripped off five goals on offense while the defense blanked the Patriots.
 
Passa gave the Lancers a 2-1 lead, and she had a hat trick before halftime. McDonald added two goals as well, and the Lancers led 6-1 at the break.
 
Peyton Farley helped George Mason creep back in with a four goal effort, but Passa and McDonald delivered all the second half answers for Longwood with two goals apiece.
 
McDonald knifed in and scored a dagger with 5:45 to go to stem a George Mason run, and Passa capped the scoring on a free position with 3:02 to play.
 
For Passa, the five goals were a season high and one shy of a career high, and McDonald now has 13 goals in her past three games.
 
WHAT THEY SAID:
 
"That was a great team win," said Longwood Head Coach Kylar Ferguson. "The defense was outstanding to start the game, and it allowed our offense to take a lot of chances early. This culminated in a lot of momentum at the end of the first half, and the girls really played like they wanted it. We are looking forward to building on this and continuing to get better as a team."

UP NEXT:
 
Longwood heads to William & Mary on Sunday. Opening draw is set for 1 p.m. in Williamsburg.
 
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