9.12.2011

FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood University played two more overtime women's soccer matches this past week, earning one win and one tie; the extra period streak now standing at five-straight. The Lancers (2-3-3) took a 2-1 overtime home win past visiting Tennessee Tech University of the Ohio Valley Conference on September 9, before battling for a 2-2 double-overtime tie on the road at George Mason University of the Colonial Athletic Association on Sept. 11 in Fairfax. Longwood will play two matches this week, hosting in-state school Radford University of the Big South Conference on Friday, Sept. 16, at the Athletics Complex in Farmville at 7 p.m., and back on the road at in-state opponent and Big South member VMI on Sunday, Sept. 18, in Lexington at 2 p.m.

Recapping Tennessee Tech, George Mason
Longwood and Tennessee Tech played 98:42 before senior captain Kacie Oliver|Portsmouth, R.I. (Portsmouth) scored the game-winning goal on a penalty kick in the 99th minute. Sophomore Kelsey Pardue|Henrico (Hermitage) scored the other goal in the 62nd minute for the host Lancers against the visiting Golden Eagles who had scored in the 75th minute. Junior keeper Kyra Byron|Richmond (Mills E. Godwin) played the duration in front of the net with three saves, while there was a team save as well. Longwood and George Mason played 110:00 with two goals each scored during the regulation 90 minutes. Oliver tallied both goals for the Lancers, the first in the 11th minute of the match played on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, assisted by Pardue, and the second in the 83rd minute to force the OT while assisted by both Pardue and junior Nikki Glisson|Mechanicsville (Hanover). Byron started and played the first 72:10 in front of the net with three saves and two goals allowed, and sophomore Shelby Hall|Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) entered and played the final 37:50 in goal with one late and key important stop.

Head Coach Todd Dyer
“With this past weekend being our Wounded Warrior Weekend, and the 10th anniversary of 9/11, we're just honored that we were able to go out and be a part of a special weekend on the Longwood campus Friday and Saturday, and up in the D.C. area at George Mason on Sunday. Of course, we played two more overtime games, but this team wouldn't have it any other way. We were able to get the win at home against Tennessee Tech, and a hard-fought 2-2 up at George Mason was very rewarding as well. Now, we're starting to score the goals that were missing for a long time, and we still have a couple of players that are primed to break out on the offensive side of things. We've got a Big South weekend coming up with games against Radford and at VMI, so we'll put in a lot of work this week at practice.”

A Look At Radford, VMI
Radford is coached by 16th-year head coach Ben Sohrabi, and is currently 4-2 after a 3-1 home win past Tennessee Tech on Sept. 11. The Highlanders have been led by sophomore Julie Ruh'e with three goals and two assists this season. Longwood and RU are meeting for the ninth time in women's soccer as the Lancers lead the series at 6-2, including a 2-0 road win last Sept. 19. VMI is coached by seventh-year head coach Bryan Williams, and is currently 2-2-1 after a 1-1 double-0vertime road tie at St. Bonaventure on Sept. 11. The Keydets have been led by senior Sarah Strand with four goals this fall. Longwood has never lost to VMI (6-0-1), including a 4-0 home win last season on August 31.

Leading The Lancers | Season Statistics
Kacie Oliver leads Longwood with her three goals through eight matches, followed by Nikki Glisson with two goals and one assist, and Kelsey Pardue with one goal and three assists. Fifth-year senior Alex Myers|Stafford (Colonial Forge) and freshman Kelsey McDonald|Kennett Square, Pa. (Unionville) each have one goal, while junior captain Lindsey Ottavio|Fairfax (W.T. Woodson) adds two assists. Kyra Byron has played 778:58 in front of the net while allowing eight goals (0.92) with 29 saves (.784) with two shutouts, and Shelby Hall has played 37:50 in goal while yielding no goals (0.00) with one save (1.000).

Here We Go Again …
Longwood has now played five consecutive overtime matches, and six extra period contests in eight overall matches this year. The Lancers have won one of the OT matches (Tennessee Tech), tied three (Richmond, Liberty, George Mason), and lost two (East Tennessee State, Appalachian State). Ironically, the Lancers did not play one OT match during all of last season (19 matches) when the program finished 11-8. Instead of the regulation 720 minutes through eight games, Longwood has played 816-plus minutes for an average of 102 minutes per match – equivalent to a full additional match.

Collegiate Debut A Success
Shelby Hall made her collegiate debut for Longwood on the road at George Mason. She entered the match at 72:10, and played the final 37:50, including regulation and overtime minutes. Hall faced seven shots, though only one was on target, which she promptly stopped during the first 10-minute extra period. She is a junior academically at Longwood, though only joined the women's soccer program last spring while a first-year team member.

The Coaching Staff
Longwood is coached by 18th-year head coach Todd Dyer '93 who is assisted by associate head coach Steve Brdarski, in his eighth season, along with director of soccer operations Lindsey Williams and graduate assistant Marcia Biddle '10. Dyer is the only coach in the program's history as he has attained an overall coaching record of 188-115-19 (.613) over 17-plus years, including 14 winning seasons.

2011 Captains
Fifth-year senior defender Katie Devlin|Fairfax (W.T. Woodson) will serve as a team captain for the second consecutive season, while senior defender/midfielder Kacie Oliver and junior forward Lindsey Ottavio are in the team leadership roles for the first time. The veteran and talented trio have combined for 170 career starts, 30 goals, 13 assists, and 73 points.

No Place Like Home
Longwood is 37-11-1 (.765), including 2-1 this season, on its home turf at the Athletics Complex since beginning competition at the facility in 2006. The Lancers finished 8-2 at home last season, and are 30-10 (.750) at the Athletics Complex since attaining its NCAA Division I certification and eligibility for 2007.

Up Next
Longwood will play two matches next week, including a home contest against in-state opponent Radford University of the Big South Conference on Friday, Sept. 16, at the Athletics Complex in Farmville at 7 p.m., and a road match at in-state opponent and Big South member VMI on Sunday, Sept. 18, in Lexington at 2 p.m.