The Longwood University lacrosse team has been unbeatable since losing to the Richmond Spiders at the end of March.
Since the loss to the Spiders, the Lancers have gone 4-0, accumulating 63 points scored while only allowing their opponents to score 30 combined goals.
The Lancers’ hot streak couldn’t come at a better time. The team’s streak started right as The Big South Conference games began.
The offense has been a huge factor in this late-season turnaround for the Lancers. The team went from scoring 10.7 goals per game with 6.2 assists per game to 15.75 goals per game with nine assists per game.
These offensive improvements have been led by the team’s big three scorers: junior midfielder Kacey Norwood (37 goals), sophomore midfielders Katie McHugh (34 goals) and Sarah Butler (30 goals).
The three midfielders have combined for 40 of the team’s 63 goals during this four game win streak. Norwood has led the team with 16 goals during the streak, while McHugh and Butler have both scored 12 goals.
Another offensive factor is assists machine senior midfielder Lauren Prasnicki. So far this season, Prasnicki leads the team and all of the Big South with 34 assists. Second on the team is Norwood with 21 assists.
During the whole season, Prasnicki has been consistently averaging at least two assists per game.
This increase in offense has prompted the Lancers to a .500 record, and they have yet to lose a Big South game.
Not only has the team’s offense been improving, but the play of junior goalkeeper Christian Acker has stepped up, as well. In the 10 games before this four game win streak, Acker had allowed 138 goals, 13.8 goals per game, and had 82 saves, 8.2 saves per game.
During the team’s four game win streak, Acker has only allowed 30 goals, 7.5 goals allowed per game, and has 40 saves, 10 saves per game.
Teams have scored a whopping 6.3 goals less on Acker and the Lancers during this win streak.
Not only is Acker stepping up defensively, but so is the entire defensive staff. Teams have shot an overall 380 times against the Lancers, 289 before the streak and 28.9 shots per game.
Since the start of their streak, the Lancers’ opponents have only been able to shoot 22.75 shots per game, 91 overall.
The improvement in the Lancers’ play can be credited to Head Coach Elaine Jones and Asst. Coach Kate Keagins.
Both coaches have been working with different aspects of the team’s game to improve their play. Jones has been working with the team on playing more intensely for the whole game rather than just one of the two halves.
“We talked about playing with intensity from start to finish, and I think we accomplished that goal,” said Jones after the Campbell win.
Keagins has been working with Acker and has helped improve her abilities defensively.
The coaches’ adjustments have helped the team during this stretch, but it’s still the players that are incorporating what the coaches tell them on the field and turning it into wins.
The team is now in a three-way tie for the No. 1 seed in the Big South with High Point University and Davidson College.
The Lancers are at home against High Point on Saturday, April 19 at 1 p.m. Coverage will be provided by the Big South Network.
