Logwood Women Beat Winthrop in OT, 2-1

LONGWOOD DEFEATS BIG SOUTH OPPONENT WINTHROP 2-1 (OT)

Longwood Sophomore, Kylie Dyer

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University remained unbeaten at home in Big South Conference women’s soccer action on Thursday evening, taking a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory past Winthrop University at the Athletics Complex in Farmville.  Sophomore Kylie Dyer|Farmville (Prince Edward County) scored the winning goal in the fourth minute of overtime for the Lancers (9-4, 4-1 Big South), assisted by classmate Kelsey McDonald|Kennett Square, Pa. (Unionville), as the hosts improved to 3-0 in league home matches with the win against the visiting Eagles (6-5-1, 3-1-1 Big South).  McDonald added a goal in the 22nd minute, assisted by junior Kelsey Pardue|Henrico (Hermitage).  Longwood will play again on Saturday afternoon, October 6, hosting Big South member Gardner-Webb University at the Athletics Complex in Farmville at 4 p.m.  The women’s soccer program will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of its 2002 Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference Championship, including a special halftime recognition of that title-winning team.
   
“It should be that hard to get a result against the first place team in the conference,” said 19th-year head coach Todd Dyer ‘93.  “The game got away from us in the second half in terms of our possession and composure in our back half, but we showed some life again at the end of regulation.
   
“Overtime was thrilling and worth all the stress.  Mac and Kylie did a great job of combining on the goal after Otto forced a huge save early in the period.”
   
Longwood led 1-0 at the intermission after McDonald scored the opening goal at 21:44, finishing a well-played through ball down the left side from Pardue.  It was McDonald’s second goal this season, and the fifth assist for Pardue, who leads the conference in scoring with 15 points (five goals, five assists).  Winthrop came out strong in the second half and tied the game at 1-1 with a goal from Grace Radler at 64:49, assisted by Taylor Walton on a ball played in from the right side.  It remained 1-1 through 90 minutes, though the Lancers almost ended it in regulation on a solid shot by senior captain Lindsey Ottavio|Fairfax (W.T. Woodson) with less than a minute on the clock that was saved by Eagles’ keeper Amelia Henderson.
   
In the overtime period, Dyer collected a pass to the box from McDonald on the left side and promptly finished it into the net with a hard shot to the lower left corner at 93:11.  It was Dyer’s third goal this fall, and the first game-winning goal of her career.
   
Longwood had a 14-7 advantage in shots, including 6-3 in attempts on goal, and it was 7-1 on corner kicks.  Ottavio and McDonald each had three shots, two on goal, while Dyer and Pardue each added two shots, one on goal.  Senior keeper Kyra Byron|Richmond (Mills E. Godwin) played the duration in front of the net for the Lancers with two saves.
   
Radler had two shots, both on goal, for Winthrop, while Henderson played the duration for the Eagles with four saves.
   
Longwood and Winthrop were playing for the first time in the sport of women’s soccer, and the Lancers now lead the series, 1-0.