BOONE, N.C. – Longwood field hockey pieced together a strong defensive effort on the road at Appalachian State on Friday night, but a pair of late corners pushed the Mountaineers (9-6, 6-1 MAC) pushed the home side past Longwood (4-10, 2-5 MAC) 2-0.
 

SCORE	1	2	3	4	FINAL
LWU	0	0	0	0	0
APP	0	0	0	2	2

 
51:14 | APP—Jillian Orcutt (1), assist Grace Ball
58:21 | APP—Grace Ball (2), assist Jillian Orcutt and Noa Ginjaume Matas
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
The two sides traded blows back and forth in a defensive struggle.
 
A shorthanded Lancer side was game throughout the contest, making things difficult for an Appalachian State side that came into the day tied for second in the MAC.
 
The Lancer back line repeatedly limited Appalachian State's opportunities early, giving up only two penalty corners and seven shots on the first half. Only one shot was on target, and Sophie Mooldijk handled it cleanly.
 
The two teams were scoreless at the half.
 
Mooldijk made a pair of saves in the third quarter as well to keep the match tied at 0-0, and she finished the match with four saves.
 
However, the home team finally broke through in the fourth quarter. Jillian Orcutt scored on a penalty corner for a 1-0 lead, and that allowed the Mountaineers to gain a foothold.
 
A late corner pushed the game out of reach with less than two minutes to play after a penalty corner for Appalachian State.

WHAT THEY SAID:

"This group's fight and resilience has not gone unnoticed," said Longwood Head Coach Miranda Rigg. "We've had a hard few weeks of battling with limited numbers. At the end of the day, we need to reward ourselves for all the hard work and growth because it's there. We are a great team who's grown exponentially since day one."
 
UP NEXT:
 
Longwood returns to action on Sunday when the team travels to William & Mary. First push is set for noon in Williamsburg.
 
#GoWood #HorsePower