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The Rotunda
Saturday, July 26, 2025

Men’s Soccer Opens Conference Play with Draw

   On Monday, the LU men’s soccer team, after 90 vividly aggressive and well-balanced minutes of regulation, and two minutes of overtime, tied the High Point Panthers (2-4-1, 0-0-1 Big South) 2-2 in their first Big South Conference game of the season.

   Despite this being a rescheduled game due to the rain on Saturday, both teams were more than prepared to play, and play exceedingly well. High Point was a tough opponent as well as the first conference game of the season. When asked how to prepare for such a game, head coach Jon Atkinson said, “The important thing for our guys is knowing that this was our first [conference] game, that we were starting 0-0. This is really when the season starts, so it’s important to get off to a good start; taking on a strong High Point team at home is not the easiest start in the conference but it was a great test for our guys.”

   As the two teams eagerly started the first half, Longwood (1-3-2, 0-0-1 Big South) was the first to score in the 12th minute of the game with a sensational goal off a rebound to the top right corner by sophomore midfielder Rhys Cairns. Junior forward Anthony Ugorji crossed it in the right direction.

  With a 1-0 lead over the  Panthers, the Lancers defended well against the pressure of the HPU offense and equaled their aggressive style of play. However, in the 22nd minute, High Point forward Mamadee Nyepon scored to tie the game 1-1.

   The second half started similarly to the first with a goal in the 54th minute by Longwood sophomore defender Mike Durr, making the score 2-1. Durr scored on a header off of Cairns corner.

   LU did a tremendous job maintaining their lead over the Panthers by playing smart and thinking ahead, as well as being aware of who was open on the field with persistent passing.

   In the last two minutes of the game, High Point forward Nyepon scored his second with 2:03 to go, assisted by midfielder  Pat Shelton, to tie the game at 2. High Point out-shot Longwood 3-1 in both overtime frames, but found themselves unable to move the net behind freshman keeper, Carlos Canas.

   “It was just important tonight that we competed admirably in order to earn the right to get a result. That was the biggest difference. I think the attitude, the hunger and the desire shown from the guys translated to good performances,” an upbeat Atkinson said.

   “I think we put High Point on the back foot for good parts of the game and [we] probably count ourselves a little bit unlucky not to get all three points today,” he added.

   Longwood will be away at UNC Greensboro on Saturday to take on the Spartans at 7 p.m.