Longwood On Track For Division I.
“This year will present some of the greatest challenges that our program has ever faced,” explained Dyer. “At this level nothing comes easy, but our team is made up of a group of student-athletes who thrive on opportunities like this. Our younger players have a unique and immediate opportunity to shape the direction of our program. It’s hard to predict how things will unfold for us as a Division I program throughout this transition, but one certainty is that the journey truly begins for all of us this year. We welcome the challenge.”
Coach Dyer will count on his only pair of senior veterans, Mikaela Bizer/Annandale (Annandale) and Laura Kilmartin/Virginia Beach (Ocean Lakes), to provide the necessary leadership responsibilities to a young team that includes 21 first or second-year team members.
“Our two seniors really have their work cut out for them, however, this is a role they can both handle and take in stride,” said Dyer. “Laura is a fierce competitor and will anchor things down for us in defense, while Mikaela could spend some time in the back and midfield with her pace and versatility.”
A position-by-position look at this year’s team, beginning with the defense. As mentioned, Kilmartin will anchor this key area of the field – one that Longwood women’s soccer is noted for as evidenced by eight shutouts a year ago. Kilmartin will be joined by junior Tiffany Rice/Virginia Beach (Kellam) (3g, 1a), sophomores Sarah Carter/Fredericksburg (Massaponax) and Whitney Slack/Leesburg (Loudoun County), along with freshmen Aynsley Birkner/Virginia Beach (First Colonial) and Amy Sherrill/Virginia Beach (Frank W. Cox). In front of the net will be sophomore keeper Heather Storrie/Spring Grove, Pa. (Spring Grove) (2.32 gaa), along with freshmen keepers Cassandra Dick/Virginia Beach (Kempsville), Emily Grove/Farmville (Prince Edward County), and Anne Whitmore/Charlottesville (Western Albemarle).
“This past spring, Tiffany Rice made the transition from outside back to central defender and we’ll be counting on her to help lead in the back at this new position,” explained Dyer. “How the remainder of the
lineup shapes up in the back around her and Laura depends on who is in form early in camp and the season.”
In addition to Bizer (2a) in the midfield, the Lancers also feature junior Melissa Cary/Bristow (Brentsville) (1g, 1a) along with returning sophomores Kelsie Bradberry/Richmond (Monacan) (4g, 2a), Tiffany Crane/Virginia Beach (Kellam) (6g, 5a), Anna Gravely/Virginia Beach (Frank W. Cox) (3g, 2a), Nicole Hodgdon/Yorktown (Tabb), and Lexi Torrice/Richmond (Douglas Freeman), redshirt freshman Shannon Mormando/Chesterfield (Manchester), as well as freshmen Tessa Kofler/Stafford (North Stafford), Kathe Krumich/Paris (Clarke County), Stephanie Schroeder/Stephens City (Sherando), and Katie Young/Virginia Beach (Princess Anne).
“Melissa has been very consistent for us in central midfield, but we’ll really need her to step up and be more of a scoring threat this year,” stated Dyer. “She has the ability, but we’re still waiting for her to break out in terms of goal production.
“Tiffany Crane was our leading point producer last year and we’ll continue to lean on her, most-likely from an outside midfield position this year. Anna was on a tear for us last year before a knee injury, and after surgery and a year of rehab, we’re hoping she can pick up where she left off. Kelsie has proven to be one of the best all-around athletes on our team and her pace will help us at an outside position.”
The all-important forward position has the least experience with just two returning veterans in junior April Lockley/California, Md. (Leonardtown) (4g, 3a) and redshirt sophomore Stacy Crites/Manassas (Osbourn) (1g). They’ll be joined by freshmen Ashley Gray/Richmond (Thomas Dale) and Kristina Reed/Spotsylvania (Chancellor).
“April really turned into a strong target forward for us this past spring,” explained Dyer. “If she can continue to fill this role for us and find the net on a regular basis, then she could be a mainstay up there. Stacy is fit and injury-free for the first time in her college career and I’m really looking forward to seeing how much of a threat she can be for us in the front third.”
The prospect of competing with such a young squad against a full Division I schedule may be daunting to some, but not to Coach Dyer.
“We have a very deep and dynamic group in terms of our freshman class,” said the coach. “Depending on how things unfold in preseason, half of our starting lineup could be made up of first-year players. I look forward to seeing who steps up to the occasion.”
Longwood will play an 18-match schedule that includes 17 Division I opponents, highlighted by seven matches against in-state institutions Liberty, Old Dominion, Radford, Virginia Commonwealth, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Tech, and William & Mary. The Lancers will also play Appalachian State, Campbell, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Elon, Georgia Southern, High Point, Howard, Mercer, and Mount St. Mary’s. The lone non-Division I opponent is Barton College.
Longwood will enjoy home contests against Campbell, Elon, Howard, Liberty, and Barton. The Lancers will participate in one tournament format this fall, the Five Star Tournament, hosted by Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, that includes the host Bears and Georgia Southern.
Coach Dyer will be assisted with the program this year by first-year assistant coach Steve Brdarski.
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