August 29, 2011

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood University field hockey team opened its 2011 campaign last weekend with a pair of home matches. The Lancers (1-1) defeated Towson University of the Colonial Athletic Association 2-0 on Saturday before dropping a 2-1 decision to visiting Lock Haven University of the Atlantic 10 Conference on Sunday afternoon. Longwood hits the road this weekend for a pair of matches, the first a neutral-site matchup against Sacred Heart University on Saturday, September 3, at 2 p.m. on the campus of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The Lancers will then face host Dartmouth at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 4.

Match Details
Opponent: Sacred Heart
Site: Hanover, New Hampshire
Facility: Chase AstroTurf Field
Date: September 3, 2011
Start: 2 p.m.

Match Details
Opponent: Dartmouth
Site: Hanover, New Hampshire
Facility: Chase AstroTurf Field
Date: September 4, 2011
Start: 2 p.m.

Last Week
The Lancers went 1-1 last week, defeating Towson 2-0 on Saturday before falling to Lock Haven 2-1 on Sunday. Senior Amanda Babineau|Stafford (Mountain View) scored in the 16th minute while junior Brittany Diaz|Chesapeake (Western Branch) added an insurance goal on a breakaway in the 70th minute to preserve the victory. Junior goalkeeper Kaye Goulding|Tickhill, England (Wakefield Girls) made four saves in the shutout victory. On Sunday against Lock Haven, Longwood gave up two goals in the first six minutes. Senior Rachel Akers|Virginia Beach (First Colonial) scored her first career goal in the 37th minute to pull the Lancers within one goal. Longwood outshot Lock Haven 16-6 and had a 14-3 advantage in penalty corners.

A Look At Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart (1-1) of the Northeast Conference split a pair of matches last weekend, defeating St. Louis 3-2 before falling to Missouri State 8-4. Chelsea Carlson leads the Pioneers with two goals, while Kate Boyd and Nikki Kimborowicz have two assists each. Kim Stow has played 113:38 in goal for SHU and has allowed eight goals with three saves. The Pioneers are led by 10th-year head coach Chris Blais.

A Look At Dartmouth
Dartmouth is set to open its season this weekend. The Big Green went 10-7 in 2010, including a 3-4 mark in Ivy League play. Dartmouth is paced by Kelly Hood, who scored 18 goals with three assists in 2010. The Big Green is led by 12th-year head coach Amy Fowler.

First Time
Senior Rachel Akers scored her first career goal on Sunday against Lock Haven. The defender serves as the injector on penalty corners and scored as she collected a rebound on a corner attempt.

Sister Sister
Seniors Rachel Akers and Alison Akers|Virginia Beach (First Colonial) are twin sisters and four-year members of the field hockey program at Longwood. They are joined by the sister duo of junior Brittany Diaz and freshman Jessica Diaz|Chesapeake (Western Branch). Coincidentally, each set of siblings had a member score a goal on the first weekend (Rachel Akers, Brittany Diaz), while Alison Akers had one assist. Jessica Diaz led the Lancers with four shots in her first match against Towson.

Home Field
Longwood has posted a 25-25 record at the Athletics Complex since the facility opened for the 2006 season, including a 5-3 mark in 2009. The Lancers are 1-1 in home contests this season.

Fifth Year
Longwood welcomes back fifth-year senior Lauren Sullivan|Fredericksburg (Stafford). She has appeared in 66 matches with 36 starts, including 19 starts in 21 appearances in 2010. Sullivan scored a career-best seven goals with two assists for 16 points last season.

Familiar Faces
In addition to Lauren Sullivan, the Lancers return four seniors for 2011. Olga Knop|Berlin, Germany (Werner-von-Siemens-Gymnasium) has started all 63 matches she has appeared in and has scored 10 goals with 14 assists for 34 points. Amanda Babineau|Stafford (Mountain View) has appeared in 55 matches with 28 starts and has scored 13 goals with three assists, including a career-best six goal in 2010. Sarah Bietsch|Chambersburg, Pa. (Chambersburg Area) has appeared in 50 matches with 21 starts and has scored three goals with four assists. Rachel Akers has appeared in 56 matches with 40 starts, while her twin sister Alison has assisted on two goals in 14 matches.

Looking Ahead
The Lancers continue their road swing as they face the College of William and Mary of the Colonial Athletic Association on Friday, September 9, at 4 p.m. in Williamsburg, followed by a trip to Durham, North Carolina, to take on Duke University of the Atlantic Coast Conference at 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 11.