Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – The No. 15 Virginia Tech lacrosse team was firing on all cylinders Wednesday afternoon on a beautiful sunny day at Thompson Field, defeating Longwood 18-3 behind a team-high five goals from Whitney Liebler.
Tech's record improves to 2-1 on the young season, while the Lancers fall to 0-2.
In the program's first game at Thompson Field for the first time since 2019, it didn't take long to find their footing scoring in under two minutes through freshman attacker Whitney Liebler who would lead all scorers with six points and five goals on the afternoon.
The Hokies would score the game's first four goals and lead at the halftime interval 9-1 thanks in part to great play on the draw by Emma Crooks and Sophie Student who both finished the game with four draw controls. In the midfield Grace Nelson and Paige Petty also corralled three each, helping the Hokies keep the momentum.
In all nine different Hokies scored goals in the game.
On the defensive side, Tech only allowed eight shots in the game and forced 17 turnovers.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
•The Hokies cleared on 100% of their opportunities going 12 for 12 while defending the Lancers' chances well causing Longwood to convert just 9 of 15 attempts.
•Tech won 17 of the game's 23 draw controls.
•The goalie duo if Angie Benson and Lilly Kannapell saved four of the eight shots that they faced in the game.
GAME NOTES
•Virginia Tech is now 9-0 against the Lancers.
•John Sung's record moves to 42-29 at Virginia Tech and 142-74 in his career as a head coach.
•Tech is 6-1 all-time on February 24.
•Angie Benson's record as a starter at Virginia Tech moved to 9-4.
•Nine players made their Virginia Tech debuts in the game; Kayla Rinaldi, Abbey Watson, Bridget Noonan, Gracie Kennedy, Cammie Odom, Kannapell, Sydney Golini, Emma Monte and Ashley O'Byrne.
NEXT TIME ON THE FIELD
•The Hokies will play at No. 12 Virginia in an ACC contest on Saturday February 27 in Charlottesville. That game will begin at 3 p.m. and can be seen on ACC Network
•Tech is 8-2 all-time against the Lancers, last meeting in Farmville in 2014, a 15-8 victory for the Hokies.
Gallery: (2-24-2021) 2021 LACROSSE vs. LONGWOOD