On the evening of Saturday Sept. 24, the Longwood Lancers men's soccer team lost to the visiting University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) Retrievers 3-1. Sophomore midfielder Nick Surkamp scored the only Lancer goal that came in the first half of the match. UMBC collected three goals in the second half to push the Retrievers past the Lancers.
The Lancers jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead when Surkamp got a hold of a loose ball and punched it under the keeper to the far post just before the five-minute mark of the match. Senior goalkeeper Joel Helmick held onto the 1-0 lead in the first half with his three saves. One save was a terrific diving stop after a free kick from 25 yards out in the 30th minute. An opportunity to add to the 1-0 lead presented itself towards the end of the first half with a header by senior forward Zach Mahon. It was a little too high, as it brushed the top of the crossbar before going out of play. Longwood took the 1-0 lead into the half even though the Retrievers outshot the Lancers six to five.
Longwood continued their momentum in the beginning of the second half when Surkamp got a good-looking shot on goal, but was saved by the Retriever's senior goalkeeper Dan Louisignau. Senior midfielder Sean Rothe tied the game for the Retrievers at 62:51 off of a rebound shot that snuck under Helmick to the far post. The momentum shifted to the Retrievers, which helped them score two more goals within three minutes of each other. On longwoodlancers.com, head coach Jon Atkinson said, "Not being able to deal with UMBC's direct style of play got them level and tilted the momentum in their favor. The first goal was critical and we fell apart for 10 minutes where we conceded the goals. We finished strong, but the damage was done. Fair play to UMBC, they outfought us tonight."
Longwood played an overly aggressive game that saw them receive 21 fouls in the game, with the Retrievers only having 16. This aggressive play resulted in five Longwood players receiving yellow cards. UMBC outshot Longwood throughout the game, with the Retrievers shooting 14 times while the Lancers only shot 11 times. Mahon and Surkamp led the tempo for the Lancers. Mahon had four shots and Surkamp had three, including his goal. Helmick finished the match with four saves. The loss was disappointing for the Lancers and on longwoodlancers.com, Atkinson added, "We got off to a great start with a well-taken goal, which should have signified the base to push on and put together a meaningful performance, but we lost our way."
