FARMVILLE, Va. — The Longwood men's soccer team hosts its second ranked team of the season Sunday as No. 9 High Point visits the Longwood Athletics Complex at 5 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
- The Lancers received a 32nd-minute goal from sophomore Brando Bedolla and held on for the final 18 minutes of the match, playing with 10 men, Tuesday against Elon for a 1-0 victory.
- Bedolla, who received his first caution in the final seconds of the first half, was then sent off in the 72nd minute for another transgression.
- Senior transfer goalkeeper Youssou Ouendeno, making just his second start for the Lancers, turned aside six shots, for his first clean sheet in NCAA action.
- The Longwood defense came up with three team saves, including two in the 77th minute alone, to keep Elon off the scoreboard.
- The victory against the Phoenix, which is receiving votes in this week's United Soccer Coaches top 25, was the Lancers' first in the series since 1996.
SERIES HISTORY
- High Point holds a 17-6-2 lead in the all-time series, which began in 1995 with the first of three consecutive Longwood victories.
- The Panthers have won nine consecutive matches in the series and 14 of the last 18 meetings between the two.
- Longwood's last win over High Point was 1-0 on Nov. 9, 2016 in the Big South semifinals in High Point, N.C.
- Finnlay Wyatt scored in the 42nd minute and Carlos Canas collected three saves for a shutout in that contest, lifting the Lancers to their first Big South final appearance.
SCOUTING HIGH POINT
- High Point enters play at 5-0-3 overall and 1-0-0 in the Big South
- The Panthers are coming off of a 2-2 draw at No. 10 West Virginia on Tuesday, following a 3-1 victory over Presbyterian last Friday, Sept. 19, opening Big South play.
- High Point is averaging 2.13 goals per game while conceding 1.00 per contest.
- Daniel Lugo leads the team with six goals and 13 points. Brendan Krueger, Chris Niblock and Beau Yantz are tied for the team lead in assists with three apiece.
- Goalkeeper Josh Caron has seen every minute of action in the High Point goal, carrying 1.00 goals-against average, .800 save percentage and two clean sheets on the season.
PLAYING THE BEST
- The Lancers have an opportunity to play at least three teams ranked in the Sept. 23 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. 9 High Point and No. 15 Gardner-Webb.
- 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
LANCERS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
- Longwood is currently 85th in the NCAA in total assists with 11 and 90th in assists per game at 1.38.
- Individually, Jose Coutinho is 64th in the country in shots per game at 2.71
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 is at nationally ranked Gardner-Webb next Friday at 6 p.m.
- The all-time series between the two — which began in 1990 — is tied, 9-9-2.
- Gardner-Webb is 3-0-1 in the last four against Longwood.
- The Lancers' last win came Oct. 16, 2021 in Boiling Springs, N.C., by a 1-0 tally.
