Longwood Opens 2012 w/2-0 Shutout Of Drexel
August 17, 2012
<p><span style="font-family: Candara;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><strong>FARMVILLE, Va. -- </strong>Longwood University opened its 2012 women’s soccer season with a 2-0 shutout victory past visiting Drexel University of the Colonial Athletic Association Friday night at the Athletics Complex in Farmville. The Lancers (1-0) received second-half goals from sophomore <span style="color: #00007f;"><strong>Samantha Phillips|Chesapeake (Grassfield)</strong></span> in the 61st minute, assisted by junior <span style="color: #00007f;"><strong>Kelsey Pardue|Henrico (Hermitage)</strong></span>, and sophomore <span style="color: #00007f;"><strong>Kylie Dyer|Farmville (Prince Edward County)</strong></span> scored unassisted in the 77th minute. Senior keeper <span style="color: #00007f;"><strong>Kyra Byron|Richmond (Mills. E. Godwin) </strong></span>earned the shutout with two saves. Longwood will host VCU of the Atlantic 10 Conference for <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The GAME 3.0 (Greatest Athletics March Ever)</span></strong> on Sunday night, August 19, at the Athletics Complex in Farmville beginning at 7 p.m.<br /> <br /> “That’s about as good as you can start a season, earning a 2-0 shutout on our home field against a strong team from a very reputable soccer conference,” said 19th year head coach <span style="color: #00007f;"><strong>Todd Dyer ‘93</strong></span>. “They were moving the ball well against us early and gave us a couple scares in front of goal, but once we settled down, we created some great chances for ourselves as well. It always comes down to goals and Sam’s strike was world-class, while Kylie really rolled her sleeves up with her finish.<br /> <br /> “Defensively, I thought we were strong throughout, and our back four kept us in the game early.”<br /> <br /> Longwood and Drexel waited one hour and 50 minutes past the scheduled start time of 7 p.m. due to lightening in the area before finally kicking-off at 8:50 p.m. The Lancers had back-to-back shots on goal in the ninth minute but both were turned away by Dragons’ keeper <em>Eve Badana</em>, and the visitors had an opportunity in the 13th minute that hit the crossbar, before the two squads battled scoreless through the opening 45 minutes.<br /> <br /> Longwood took the 1-0 advantage when <span style="color: #00007f;">Phillips</span> received a nice pass in the box from <span style="color: #00007f;">Pardue</span> and blasted a shot to the upper left corner of the net at 60:42 for her first career goal. <span style="color: #00007f;">Dyer</span> secured the outcome at 76:50 when she collected a loose ball in the box following a corner kick opportunity and fired low and hard into the net on the right side for her first career goal as well. <span style="color: #00007f;">Byron</span> turned away the final scoring attempt by the visitors in the 78th minute.<br /> <br /> Longwood took a 10-5 advantage in shots, including 5-2 in attempts on goal, and the Lancers had a 4-2 edge in corner kicks. Pardue had three shots, and Phillips added two shots, while Byron played the duration in front of the net for Longwood en route to posting her eighth career shutout.<br /> <br /> <em>Alex Vazquez</em> had three shots to lead Drexel, while Badana played the duration for the Dragons with three saves.<br /> <br /> Longwood and Drexel were playing for the first time in the sport of women’s soccer.<br /> <br /> <strong><em>The GAME 3.0</em></strong> is a special community event of festivities that will get under way with a spirit carnival and tailgating in the Grand Dining Room of the Longwood Dining Hall beginning at 4:30 p.m., followed by a pep rally to feature the unveiling of the new Longwood Fight Song in Willett Hall at 6 p.m., and a 6:15 p.m. march from campus up Fourth Street and Longwood Avenue to the soccer facility on Johnston Drive for the opening kickoff at 7 p.m. This is the third consecutive year for the event, a collective effort among the Athletics Department, the Office of First Year Experience, and the Town of Farmville, as last year's The GAME 2.0 was played before a raucous and record-crowd of over 1,800.</span></span></p>
