WASHINGTON – The Longwood women's soccer team returns to the road Sunday at American. Kickoff at Reeves Field is set for 1 p.m., on ESPN+.

LAST TIME OUT

• Old Dominion scored twice in the first half and added another goal after halftime to defeat Longwood, 3-0, last Sunday at the ODU Soccer Stadium.
• The Monarchs took control midway through the opening half when Ally Richardson floated a long free kick that found the back of the net. 
• Sydney Somers doubled the lead less than seven minutes later, scoring in the 24th minute, hitting the top corner after the ball came to her at the top of the box.
• Old Dominion added to its advantage in the 66th minute when Hannah Morgan converted the rebound of a Riley Mullen shot to make it 3-0.
• Longwood managed three shots, including one on goal. McKenna Vogel put the Lancers' lone shot on target, but Old Dominion goalkeeper Ellie Goodrich made the save to preserve the shutout.
• Old Dominion outshot Longwood, 11-3, and put seven shots on goal. The Monarchs also held a 3-1 advantage in shots in the first half, while both teams had three corner kicks.
• Brynn Clagett made two saves while allowing two goals in the first half for Longwood before Lexie Miller played the second half and recorded two saves. Goodrich finished with one save for Old Dominion.

SERIES HISTORY AGAINST AMERICAN

• The all-time series with American is tied, 4-4-1, with the Lancers winning last season's contest, 2-1, Aug. 17 in Farmville.
• The last time the teams met in Washington was Aug. 29, 2023, a 0-0 draw.

SCOUTING AMERICAN

• The Eagles are coached by Phil Casella, who is in his first season after spending the last nine at Wagner on Staten Island. Casella led the Seahawks to a Northeast Conference championship in 2025.
• The Eagles have 10 freshmen on a  29-player roster.
• American opened its season with three straight road games (La Salle, UMBC, Richmond), dropping contests at La Salle and UMBC by a score of 2-1 before earning a 1-1 draw at Richmond.
• Seniors Lauren Sanders and Bella Miller have both scored penalty kick goals for the Eagles, while junior Mia De Villegas-Decker scored the American goal at Richmond.

A LOOK BACK

• Longwood went 9-7-3 overall and 5-3-0 in the Big South, posting its best record since going 13-5-3 overall and 6-1-2 in the league in 2017.
• The Lancers advanced to at least the Big South semifinals a season ago for the fifth time in program history.
• Forward Sam Fischer was named Big South Freshman of the Year and first team all-league. She was joined on the all-conference team by first-team defender Sydney Robertson, second-team midfielder Meghan Piazza and second-team goalkeeper Sara Curtis.

FRESH FACES

• Longwood has added eight newcomers to its 2026 roster, including four transfers and four freshmen.
• Among the transfers are junior Maddy Howells (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) and sophomores Bailey Altizer (Eastern Kentucky) Brooke Owens (VCU) and Farmville native McKenna Vogel, who spent her freshman season at Campbell.
• Vogel, coached by Stuart Carilli at Prince Edward County High School, appeared in 10 matches, making two starts, for the Camels in 2025.

LANCERS PICKED THIRD IN BIG SOUTH POLL

• Longwood was selected to finish third in the Big South preseason coaches poll, announced on Aug. 6.
• The Lancers earned 63 points in the poll to finish ahead of USC Upstate in fourth with 58 points and the remaining first-place nod. Charleston Southern (43 points) was fifth, followed by Winthrop (32) in sixth, UNC Asheville (29) in seventh and Gardner-Webb (22) in eighth. Presbyterian rounded out the voting in ninth place with 13 points.
• High Point (76 points, seven first-pace votes and 76 points) is the preseason favorite in the league. Radford was chosen second with 69 points and one first-place nod.
• It marks just the third time in history the Lancers were picked in that position. Longwood was also third in 2019 and 2014, respectively.

FISCHER BIG SOUTH PRESEASON FORWARD OF THE YEAR

• Sophomore Sam Fischer was named Big South Preseason Forward of the Year in the Big South.
• Fischer is just the second Longwood player to earn a major preseason award since the Lancers joined the conference for the 2012 season. Sydney Wallace was Big South Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in 2018.
• Fischer, the Big South Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-league pick last season, led the Lancers in goals (seven) and points (16). She was named Freshman of the Week two times and Player of the Week once while playing in all 19 matches with seven starts.
• Fischer opened her Longwood career with nine points in her first three matches on four goals and one assist. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

• Five Longwood players were named to the Big South Top Returners Watch List, the league announced on Aug. 5.
• On the watch list — which includes selections from each of the league's head coaches and returning all-conference honorees — were forwards Peyton Curney and Sam Fischer, midfielders Meghan Piazza and Coryn Silberstein and defender Berni Wayland.

O CAPTAINS, MY CAPTAINS

• Head coach Todd Dyer named Peyton Curney, Coryn Silberstein, Meghan Piazza and Madison Fitzpatrick captains for the 2026 season.

ONE AND ONLY

• Now in his 33rd season with the Longwood women's soccer team, head coach Todd Dyer is the only the coach to lead the program since its inception in 1994. 
• Dyer, a 1993 Longwood graduate, has a 300-226-62 (.563) overall record, including a 143-55-30 (.693) mark in conference.
• Dyer also coached the Longwood men's soccer team for seven seasons from 1996-02, going 75-53-7 (.581) overall.

NEXT UP

• Longwood plays the last of three consecutive matches on the road Thursday at VMI. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m., on ESPN+. 
• The Lancers are unbeaten against the Keydets in 15 all-time matches, going 14-0-1 since the series began in 2003.