FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood women's soccer started conference play strong with a 1-0 win against Gardner-Webb after steady pressure throughout the match.
Berni Wayland scored her first collegiate goal in the second half off a corner from
Meghan Piazza as the deciding play in the game.
SCORE:
1 2 FINAL
GWU 0 0 0
LWU 0 1 1
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Pressure was the name of the game for the Lancers (4-4-2, 1-0 Big South).
Sydney Robertson,
Taylor Kamalsky,
Remi Siner, and
Sarah Olson, along with goalkeeper
Sara Curtis, held Gardner-Webb (1-7-1, 0-1 Big South) to only two shots in the entire match. The two shots came in the first half, and the back line didn't give up one shot in the second half.
Meanwhile, the front half of the formation dominated possession, especially in the second half. The group didn't provide much space for Gardner-Webb to breathe, while
Peyton Curney,
Karleigh Minson,
Reese Coggeshall, and Wayland all tallied two shots.
In the 62
nd minute, the pressure paid off. Wayland played a bouncing ball home off a corner kick from Piazza for a 1-0 lead.
The defense made sure it stayed that way the rest of the way.
WHAT THEY SAID:
"1-0 is a lot better than 0-1, but it was a tough game", said Head Coach
Todd Dyer. "The first half was extremely close and competitive statistically, and as far as how the game unfolded, I feel like we finally woke up in the second half and did a much better job of imposing ourselves on them, creating chances and putting them under pressure. Even the goal we got was a scrappy goal scored by our center back. You take what you can get, and three points is what it's all about at the end of the day, no matter how we managed to get them."
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- Longwood outshot Gardner-Webb 14-2
- Piazza earned her first assist of the season
- Curtis had her 13th shutout of her collegiate career
UP NEXT:
Longwood will travel to Radford on Wednesday, September 24 to open a two-match road swing. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and the match will air on ESPN+
#GoWood #HorsePower
