FARMVILLE, Va. – After having its Monday contest at Coastal Carolina cancelled, the Longwood men's soccer team team returns home to face East Tennessee State Friday at 7 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
- Longwood had its contest with Coastal Carolina cancelled on Monday due to unplayable field conditions.
- It was the first Lancers' match to be cancelled since a Sept. 23, 2023 contest with Wofford in Farmville.
SERIES HISTORY
- ETSU leads the all-time series with the Lancers — which began in 2021 — 3-0-0.
- The two teams last played in the season opener of the 2024 season, on Aug. 22 in Johnson City, Tenn., a 3-1 Buccaneers win.
- The Lancers scored first in that match on an 18th-minute header from Anthony Vargas, but ETSU tallied three times, unanswered, including twice after halftime.
LANCERS AGAINST THE SOCON
- Longwood is 23-26-5 all-time against teams currently part of the Southern Conference.
- The Lancers have fared the best against VMI, going 20-3-1 (.854).
- Longwood also has two wins against Wofford — including a 1-0 shutout of the Terriers last season — and one versus UNCG.
SCOUTING ETSU
- ETSU enters play Friday at 0-2-0, having lost 2-0 at Emory & Henry on Aug. 25 and 1-0 at home to High Point on Aug. 29.
- ETSU went 5-7-5 overall last season, advancing to SoCon championship after advancing on penalties against Wofford.
- The Bucs, under second year-head coach Allen Vital, were picked fourth in the six-team Southern Conference.
A RESULT WOULD …
- With a win or draw on Friday, Longwood would remain unbeaten through its first two matches of the season for the first time since 2023.
- That year, the Lancers began the season blanking Hampden-Sydney, 3-0, on Aug. 25 before beating Mount St. Mary, 2-1, on Sept. 2 at home.
- The unbeaten streak continued by earning a 1-1 draw on the road at William & Mary on Sept. 5 and shutting out Navy, 2-0, in Annapolis, Md., on Sept. 8.
FRESH FACES
- Longwood has added 14 newcomers in its 2025 recruiting class.
- Six players boast previous collegiate playing experience.
- Among the transfers are midfielder Phil Appelt (Dordt/Mid-America Christian), forward Syrus Conolly (Concord/Virginia Tech), goalkeeper Youssou Ouendeno (Western Illinois/Madonna), midfielder Kevin Peprah (Rider), forward João Ratinho (Huntington/Oklahoma Christian) and goalkeeper Ezra Wallace (Green Bay).
LANCERS PICKED THIRD IN BIG SOUTH POLL
- Longwood was selected to finish third in the Big South preseason coaches poll, announced on Aug. 13
- The team received 41 points in the voting to finish behind just High Point and Gardner-Webb, which earned 62 and 55 points, respectively. Those two schools split the first-place votes with 2024 regular-season champion Panthers garnering six and the Runnin' Bulldogs picking up the remaining two nods for the top spot.
- The third-place tag for Longwood represents a tie for the highest-ever finish in the Big South preseason poll, matching the 2022 squad.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
SADULA ELEVATED
- Assistant coach Yuriy Sadula was promoted to associate head coach for the Lancers on Aug. 20.
- Sadula is beginning his seventh season on head coach Paul Gilbert's staff between Lubbock Christian, Indiana Tech and at Longwood.
- He played for Gilbert for three seasons at Lubbock Christian graduating in 2018 as the program's all-time leader in matches (66) and minutes played (5,807).
O CAPTAINS, MY CAPTAINS
- Head coach Paul Gilbert named seniors David Ambaek and Aaron Asamoah team captains for the 2025 season.
- Both players suited up for Gilbert and associate head coach Yuriy Sadula at Indiana Tech in 2022-23 and followed the staff to Farmville.
- Asamoah earned Big South First Team and Big South All-Tournament Team honors a year ago.
- Ambaek started all 13 matches in which he appeared, helping to anchor the backline.
NEXT UP
- Longwood returns to action Friday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m., to host Wofford on ESPN+.
- The Terries hold a 5-2-1 lead in the all-time series.
