FARMVILLE, Va. — Amanda Steinmuller (Elliott, Md.) and Sadie Bryant (Charlottesville, Va.) each scored two goals, and Cassidy McDowell (Cincinnati, Ohio) scooped up a season-high eight ground balls as Gardner-Webb to Longwood, 22-8, in Big South Conference play on Saturday afternoon.
Longwood (6-5, 2-0 Big South) outshot Gardner-Webb (3-8, 1-2 Big South) by a 38-19 margin in the contest - including a 23-13 advantage in the first half - while the Runnin' Bulldogs won the battle on the ground balls, 22-16, and converted 11-of-12 clearing attempts. The Lancers succeeded on each of their 10 clear attempts and forced 15 Runnin' Bulldogs turnovers.
Steinmuller and Bryant paced six Runnin' Bulldogs in the goal column with two goals each, as Alex Fusco (Marietta, Ga.), Emma Rose (Weston, Fla.), Emma Rufolo (Woodstock, Md.) and Austyn Gorski (Lawrenceville, Ga.) all added a strike. Rufolo and Bryant recorded four and three draw controls, respectively, while McDowell and Brooke Fernandes (Greensboro, N.C.) both caused two turnovers. McDowell also tallied a game-high eight ground balls to go along with 10 saves.
Katie McHugh led the way for Longwood with five goals and six assists to account for 11 points, as Sarah Butler added four goals, six assists and a game-high seven draw controls. Madison Stair scored a contest-best six goals to pace nine Lancer goal-scorers. Shiloh McKenzie tallied five draw controls and four ground balls, while Chelsea Diionno and Imani West combined for eight saves between the sticks.
Longwood got off to a hot start with seven goals in the opening eight minutes, taking an early 7-1 lead on back-to-back strikes from Stair to offset an early tally from Steinmuller. The Lancers would add to their total with a 5-2 spurt over the next 12 minutes to extend the advantage to 12-3. Rufolo and Gorski both scored during the stretch for the Runnin' Bulldogs, as Bryant ended the run with her ninth of the season at the 9:08 mark to cut the margin to 12-4.
The teams would trade strikes over the final eight minutes of the first half, with each squad scoring three times to send Longwood into the break with a 15-7 advantage. Rose and Steinmuller both scored in the final moments of the period to close out the half.
Longwood answered with three tallies in the opening 11 minutes of the second half to put the game out of reach. Bryant scored the lone goal of the final period for the Runnin' Bulldogs, becoming the fourth Runnin' Bulldog in double figures this season with her 10th of the campaign at the 12:48 mark.
Gardner-Webb is back in action on Wednesday, April 6 when the Runnin' Bulldogs travel to High Point, N.C. to take on Big South-leading High Point (7-4, 3-0 Big South) at 7:00 pm.
