CLINTON, S.C. - Winning on the road can be difficult, but watching 'Bend it Like Bedolla,' Longwood had the answer on Friday night at Edens Field at Martin Stadium.
With less than five minutes remaining, junior forward
Brando Bedolla once again demonstrated his special game-breaking talents. On the Lancers' 11th corner kick of the night, Bedolla bent in an olimpico from the left corner to lift Longwood (8-6-1, 3-3 Big South) to its fifth road win of the year, 2-1, at Presbyterian.
With its league tournament fate and a potential home game still hanging in the balance, the breaks did not appear to be going the Lancers way in the final 45 minutes. Presbyterian goalkeeper Saed Anabtawi made key stops of chances from Bedolla and senior
Ezrah Serralde in the 61st and 70th minutes, before freshman
Levon Saribekyan hit the post in the 85th minute.
Just a minute later, Bedolla provided the game-winner off the corner kick. It was his second game-winner of the season. Over his last four road games, Bedolla has produced four goals and three assists. His 28 points (eight goals, 12 assists) this season rank second on the program's Division I list, while his 53 career points are the most for a Lancer player in the DI era.
Longwood's five road wins are the most for the program since 2011. The Lancers are one of only seven teams nationally with five road wins this season.
Serralde's first goal of the season gave the Lancers a 1-0 lead 13 minutes into the match. Sophomore
Youssef Shafei and freshman
Pau Garcia set the play up with a latter lofting a pass into the penalty area where Serralde volleyed it home.
Presbyterian (0-13-1, 0-5-1 Big South) equalized in the in the 37th minute. AJ Acree made a run through the box and cut in front of a Lancer defender to push the ball into the right side of the goal.
Just under three minutes before the half, Longwood earned a penalty kick as freshman
Magnus Hansen was pushed down from behind going for a header on a corner kick. Bedolla took the chance, but Anabtawi made the diving save to keep the game knotted at one.
Quotable
"It wasn't our best performance tonight, but we did enough to come away with three massive points in league play. In a very difficult environment, I thought our guys showed real growth in our approach and response to adversity. Our leadership group has stressed all year the need to stay together in tough situations and win these type of games that maybe we haven't in the past. I am so proud of the players and the culture we have created." - Head Coach
Paul Gilbert
Scoring Summary
13' | Longwood –
Ezrah Serralde (
Pau Garcia/
Youssef Shafei)
37' | Presbyterian – AJ Acree (Gabriel Leslie / Braden Gritz)
86' | Longwood –
Brando Bedolla (unassisted)
Up Next
The Lancers, which sit in fourth in the Big South standings, wrap up the regular season with a home tilt against Radford on Friday, Oct. 30. It will be Senior Night as the Lancers celebrate its senior class. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
