ROCK HILL, SC – Looking to stay atop the Big South standings, the Winthrop lacrosse team heads to Farmville, VA Friday afternoon for a showdown with the Longwood Lancers.
The Eagles are currently in a first-place tie atop the conference standings with Liberty as both have a 4-0 Big South mark. Winthrop is 12-2 overall and is riding a five-game win streak, its second such streak of the season.
Winthrop is coming off a 3-0 week with conference victories over Gardner-Webb, Campbell and Coastal Carolina. Freshman goalie Alaina Girani earned the Big South's Defensive Player of the Week award after posting a 5.17 goals-against average and 60.5 save percentage in those three contests. It was her fourth weekly award this year.
The Eagles continue to boast one of the top offensive and defensive teams in the nation. Winthrop is scoring an average of 16 goals per game which is tops in Division I. The Eagles are outscoring their opponents by an average of 8.07 goals per game which ranks them second in the NCAA and their 7.93 goals allowed per game ranks them 14th.
Longwood enters Friday's contest with a 5-9 overall record and a 3-1 mark in the Big South. The Lancers are in a tie with High Point for third place in the conference.
As the Eagles did, the Lancers went 3-0 last week with victories over Campbell, Presbyterian and Gardner-Webb. The lone conference loss for Longwood came against Coastal Carolina, falling 9-8.
Juniors Katie McHugh and Sarah Butler are the top two in points for the Lancers this season, totaling 49 and 47 points respectively. McHugh leads the team with 35 goals while Butler has netted 31.
Senior Christian Acker is the Lancers' primary goalie and has recorded all 14 decisions this year. She has given up just shy of 12 goals per game this year with a .456 save percentage.
The Eagles will be looking for their first-even win over the Lancers as Longwood has been victorious in the team's two previous meetings.
Winthrop will have a quick turnaround as the Eagles host Liberty on Sunday at 1 p.m. Sunday's contest will be Senior Day for the Eagles, honoring Alyssa Blevins and Jenna Kasmarik.
