Soccer Debuts Deep Squad in Friendly at Old Dominion
Women's Soccer
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FARMVILLE, Va. – The 2017 edition of the Longwood women's soccer team got its first taste of action Friday in a preseason scrimmage against Commonwealth foe Old Dominion at ODU Soccer Complex.
The Lancers, led by 24th-year head coach
Todd Dyer, debuted against the Monarchs in a 90-minute friendly, deploying a 30-player squad coming off a trip to the Big South semifinals in 2016.
Longwood held a 1-0 lead well into the second half, but Old Dominion scored twice in the game's final 30 minutes, including an 82nd-minute, game-winning penalty kick from Iris Achterhof to pull away with a late win. Achterhof also dished the assist to fellow Monarch Madison Hogan that created Old Dominion's game-tying goal in the 62nd minute.
"That was pretty much what you want to get out of an exhibition game," Dyer said. "We played a lot of girls, stayed healthy, did some positive things and identified some areas we need to work on. ODU was a very strong squad to measure ourselves against,s o that should serve us well moving forward.
"This Longwood team excites me if we can keep raising gour level of expectation and put in the work to get there."
Old Dominion's two late scores offset a go-ahead strike from Longwood's reigning All-Big South first team defender
Sydney Wallace, who waited just 37 minutes into her junior season to find the back of the net. That goal came on a feed from senior captain
Janese Quick, showcasing the connection between Longwood's two leading returning goal-scorers from last season's squad.
Friday's game is the lone preseason scrimmage for the Lancers, who have one week to prepare for their 2017 season opener at Richmond on Friday, Aug. 18. The Virginia rivalry showdown will mark Longwood's second straight season-opening meeting against Richmond and the eighth time in 11 Division I seasons the teams have squared off in August.
The Richmond game precedes Longwood's home opener against Howard on Aug. 20, part of a week of back-to-back home games that continues with an Aug. 24 meeting against Towson at the Longwood Athletics Complex.
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