Longwood University came out ready to play Saturday afternoon on Oct. 15 when they took on Cleveland State University. The 1-0 victory improved the Lancers' record to 6-6-3 for the season. Sophomore midfielder Kelsey Pardue punched in the only goal of the game in the 34th minute. The shutout was courtesy of the well-played defense of the Lancers and was anchored by junior goalkeeper Kyra Byron. This was the fifth shutout of the season for Longwood and the fourth that led to a victory for the Lancers. On longwoodlancers.com, head coach Todd Dyer explained, "Until today, some of our strongest results were ties on the road… In Cleveland State, we had to come up with a complete performance to earn a much-needed home win against a very credible opponent."
Ball control was the key to this game. The Lancers seemed to have the ball in their control for the majority of this game. Dyer said, "Our back line was rock solid once they settled into the game ... our midfield was vital in helping us possess the ball and dictate the flow of the game ... and our forwards were relentless in stretching their defense and creating chances for us."
The goal came when Pardue got a hold of the ball in the box and fired the ball past the goalie. Cleveland State's senior goalkeeper, Becky Williams, initially stopped the shot, but the force was too much and the ball went through for the goal. The assist came from senior midfielder and co-captain Kacie Oliver. Oliver had sent a free kick that burst through the defensive wall in Pardue's direction. Pardue now leads the team in goals this season with six and Oliver is close behind with five. At the end of the first period, Longwood had outshot Cleveland State 4-3, but both sides had three corner kicks.
In the second period, Longwood continued to maintain ball control and played through a questionable lack of calls by the referees as Cleveland State began to play a little rough. The Lancers got more good looks in the second period as they ripped off five more shots compared to the two shots Cleveland State got off. Longwood ended with a 9-5 advantage with shots and a 3-2 advantage with shots on goal. Besides Pardue, the other two shots on goal came from junior midfielder Nikki Glisson and freshman forward Kelsey Lucas. Cleveland State had a little push at the end of the game with the hopes of tying it, but the Lancers held strong to ensure the victory. Dyer said, "I'm proud of our team and just hope they embrace and appreciate the value of their achievement today."
Longwood will take the field again for Senior Night on Friday, Oct. 21 when they host Eastern Kentucky University in Farmville, Va. First kick is set for 7 p.m. The game will be held at the Athletics Complex as the Lancers look to pick up their seventh season victory in 2011.
