With Longwood’s Men’s soccer season in the rear view, the season’s story has been a mixed bag. If there’s anything it has shown people, it's the fact that no matter how talented your team is–there will always be ups and downs as well as injury risks. However, when looking at the short and long term future for the men’s soccer program, there is definite reason to be excited.
Going back to the first game of the season, there was plenty of optimism from the Longwood community. This was only increased after the three goal thumping of local rivals Hampden-Sydney College in the opening game of the season. Following that match with 2 more wins out of the next three, the season was off to a great start and looked promising.
However, the unfortunate reality of the sport started to set in. Injuries became a very prevalent issue among the roster with one of the injured players being Emilio Segovia, a striker out of Mexico City. Despite being out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury, Segovia is still Longwood’s second top scorer with two goals and two assists. The injuries didn't just stop with Segovia, midfielder Sawyer Meehan and defender Anthony Roland were both out with knee injuries. Defender Victor Gouvea and midfielder Drew Messick still dealt with recurring injuries that date back to last season.
When asked about the injuries and how they have been dealt with, the Lancers captain Mason Butcher stated it was “obviously difficult…but that 's why we’ve got a roster of 27 or 28 guys, everyone’s ready to play at all times.” Unfortunately, after failing to grab wins in the following three matches despite the solid start, the momentum the team had built seemed to fade.
After a much needed win over Virginia Military Institute, their attention turned to a crucial game against High Point University the following Saturday. The game did not end well for the Lancers, as they were beaten by four on their home field. This was a huge blow for the team since the push for the conference tournament is well on and only four teams can qualify for it.
With the prospect of a postseason hanging into balance, the Lancers took on the Winthrop Eagles on Wednesday, October 11. Winthrop got an early second half goal to put them ahead in a crucial match for both programs. After it seemed like Winthrop was going to take the win, Ethan Stephenson scored a late equalizer tying the match for the Lancers. It was a much-needed goal and resulted in an up and down year for the Lancers. Goalkeeper Max Hinke described it as his favorite moment of the season.
With the conference playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the Lancers marched into Spartanburg, South Carolina to take on South Carolina-Upstate. This crucial conference match would end in defeat, thus making the hopes of the playoffs seem incredibly far-fetched. However, after beating George Washington University 2-1 on October 18th, it seemed that maybe this team had one last spark. After a heartbreaking loss in a rivalry match against Radford, the hopes of the postseason were dashed.
Despite a rather lackluster season, there is definite reason to be excited for the future of the program. Longwood University, under seasoned head coach Jon Atkinson, has shown a commitment to developing young players and turning them into seasoned veterans regardless of where they are from and their familiarity with the US College game.
