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The Longwood Lancers outshot Richmond and controlled large swaths of the match on opening night. However, an early Richmond goal proved to be the difference in a 1-0 women’s soccer game.

Molly Wierman struck on a corner in the 10th minute for the Spiders (1-0), and the Lancers (0-1) did everything but get the final touch in the back of the net.

How It Happened

The Longwood Lancers were the aggressors for much of the match and took 11 shots to only seven for their in-state rivals.

However, Wierman was the one to strike for Richmond in the 10th minute. The Lancers rebuffed an initial attempt on a corner, but the ball was crossed back in, and Wierman found space to slot it to the opposite corner.

Longwood battled back, and seven different players recorded shots for the Lancers. Late in the first half, Alex Dinger lofted a soft cross to the penalty spot that was just inches away from Madison Fitzpatrick.

After halftime, the Lancers kept applying pressure. Over the first 15 minutes, the Lancers again controlled the tempo and lived around the goal. Karleigh Minson finished the night with four shots, including one from the top of the 18 that just sailed wide.

Late in the match, Kiersten Yuhas had a wonderful chance after a quick-strike counterattack by Longwood. The senior had the ball in the box and ripped it to the corner, but a Spider defender was in the right place at the right time to save it off the line.

What They Said

“We battled, we had some really good possessions and rhythm of play, we created plenty of chances, but we conceded a goal on a set piece in the first half, and that was the difference in the game,” said Longwood Head Coach Todd Dyer. “We know exactly what parts of our game we need to address moving forward, and that’s exactly what we’ll do at practice tomorrow.”

Up Next for Longwood Lancers

Longwood heads to UMBC on Sunday, August 20 for its first road test of the season. The match is slated to start at 4 p.m.