FARMVILLE, Va. – This past fall, Longwood women's soccer installed new goals at the Longwood Athletics Complex.
 
So far this spring, the Lancers have been the main ones testing them out.
 
In a third straight home win and second home shutout, Longwood (3-0-3) rode a halftime buzzer-beater from Danielle Toone and another lockdown defensive effort to a 1-0 takedown of Big South rival Presbyterian Thursday evening.
 
The junior Toone found the back of the net with just 84 seconds left in the first half, finishing off a cross into the box from sophomore Kiersten Yuhas to give Longwood the only goal it would need to extend its season-opening unbeaten streak to six consecutive games. All three wins during that stretch have come at home where the Lancers have outscored three Big South foes 6-1 and outshot them 53-25.
 
Now one of only two Big South teams without a loss this season alongside first-place High Point (5-0), the win bumps Longwood into sole possession of third place in the league standings with three Big South games remaining.
 
"Our energy before games is something that's definitely helping us on the field," said do-it-all senior Emily Mothersbaugh, who played all 90 minutes in the backfield. "Even if we don't get off to a great start, we're so good in the locker room at deciding what it is we need to fix and how we're going to fix it. It's never just negative; it's never just about what we're doing wrong, it's also about the solution."
 
Longwood had little troubleshoot in the locker room at halftime or after Thursday's game, putting on another defensive clinic that held the Blue Hose (2-3-0) to just one shot on goal for the 90-minute battle. Presbyterian generated a number of chances in front of the net, but Longwood's stout backline – anchored by All-Big South back Carrie Reaver, fellow senior Emily Mothersbaugh, junior Kylie Cahill and freshman Alayna Palamar – allowed just one of those to get to the hands of All-Big South goalkeeper Madison Van Dyke.
 
Presbyterian earned three free kick opportunities just outside of Longwood's box but sent two of those high over Longwood's wall and the Lancer net, and another straight into the hands of Van Dyke. Their final chance to even the score came in the 79th minute when a handball just outside the left side of Longwood's box set up the Blue Hose for a short-range corner, but Longwood defenders blocked both of Kristen Bane's ensuing back-to-back point-blank shots on goal in a span of three seconds.
 
Presbyterian did not have a single shot attempt the rest of the way, allowing Van Dyke to cruise to her third shutout of the season.
 
"Another nail-biter in the Big South. No surprise there," said Longwood head coach Todd Dyer. "It didn't help that we started off so flat, but give Presbyterian credit for that. I thought we were livelier in the second half but couldn't get that second goal to show for it.
 
"However, another shutout and three points at home is something to feel good about and build on. Now we're ready to celebrate our seniors at our final home game Sunday."
 
The Lancers will face their final regular-season home challenge this Sunday against Winthrop at 2 p.m. That will be the home finale and Senior Day for Longwood's nine-woman senior class of Reaver, Van Dyke, Camryn Conklin, Kennedy Culbreath, Madison Hommey, Madison Lockamy, Emily Mothersbaugh, Hannah Panagos and Kai Sizemore.
 
Longwood closes out the 2021 spring season with a bang, taking on second-place Radford and first-place High Point in back-to-back road games on April 3 and 7 before the Big South Championship tournament on April 13 and 16.
 
#GoWood