Match 8 • Elon (5-0-2) at Longwood (1-4-2)
Date & Time	Tuesday, Sept. 23 • 7 p.m.
Location	Farmville, Va. • Longwood Athletics Complex
Statistics	Longwood | Elon
Live Stats	Live Stats
Live Video	ESPN+
Social Media Live Updates	@LongwoodLancers | @LongwoodMSOC

FARMVILLE, Va. — The Longwood men's soccer team hosts Elon CAA-leading Elon Tuesday at the Longwood Athletics Complex at 7 p.m., on ESPN+. 
 

LAST TIME OUT

• The Lancers began Big South Conference play with a 3-0 loss at Radford.
• A match that featured two weather delays due to lightning, the Highlanders scored in the final minute of first half and twice after the break. 
• Kenshin Akimoto figured into all three Radford tallies, scoring in the 61st and 70th minutes after assisting on Carter McClain's opener.
• Jose Coutinho tallied two of the Lancers' four shots on goal in the match with the others going to Brando Bedolla and Jesus Macaya.
• Max Hinke made two saves in the Longwood goal.

SERIES HISTORY

• The Phoenix hold a 5-3-1 lead in the all-time series, which began in 1991.
• The last Longwood victory against Elon was Aug. 31, 1996, a 1-0 road win.
• The two teams have not met in men's soccer since a scoreless draw on Sept. 11, 2009 in Greensboro, N.C.

SCOUTING ELON

• Elon enters play at 5-0-2 on the season overall and 2-0-1 in the Coastal Athletic Association and is receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches top 25 poll.
• The Phoenix are coming off of a 1-1 draw at William & Mary in CAA action Saturday.
• Dominik Renz leads Elon with three goals — all game winners — while Martin Kozak, who scored the team's goal against William & Mary, has three assists. The pair is tied with a team-best seven points apiece.
• Goalkeeper Jackson Leavitt has five shutouts in seven starts this season, the sixth most in the country through matches of Sept. 21.
• Leavitt is also ninth nationally in goals-against average at 0.286.
   

PLAYING THE BEST

• The Lancers have an opportunity to play at least four teams ranked in the Sept. 16 United Soccer Coaches top 25 poll this season.
• In addition to West Virginia, which was No. 15 at the time of the match, Longwood is also slated for matchups with No. 11 High Point and No. 18 Gardner-Webb. Virginia Tech is also receiving votes in the most recent poll.
• If the Panthers and Runnin' Bulldogs remain in the rankings, it will be the first time Longwood will play that many ranked teams in a single season.

FIVE NAMED TO BIG SOUTH MIDSEASON WATCHLIST

• Five Lancers were named to the Big South Midseason Watchlist, the league announced on Sept. 17.
• Representing the Lancers on the list were forwards Brando Bedolla, Syrus Conolly, midfielder Christer Salvesen and defenders Jesus Macaya and Joshua Yoder.

LANCERS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS

• Longwood is currently 72nd in the NCAA in shots on goal per game (5.29), 86th in assists (10) and 88th overall in assists per game (1.43).
• Individually, Jose Coutinho is 24th in the country in shots per game (3.17).
   

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.

NEXT UP

• Longwood jumps back into Big South play Sunday when it hosts High Point at 5 p.m., on ESPN+.
• The Panthers hold a 17-6-2 lead in the all-time series, which began in 1995.
• Longwood's last win in the series was in the 2016 Big South semifinals at High Point, a 1-0 victory.