Campbell women win Big South regular-season soccer title, 8-0, over Longwood

by | Oct 27, 2022 | Articles, Campbell, News & Features

Campbell players and fans are pictured after an 8-0 win over Longwood.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)

BUIES CREEK — Campbell defeated Longwood, 8-0, in women’s soccer Wednesday night at the Eakes Complex to earn its second straight Big South Conference regular-season title.

Jessica Donald scored twice in Campbell’s largest offensive output in over five years and the Camels (11-3-3, 7-0-2) extended their unbeaten streak to 13 matches.

Amber Liston scored in the second minute and added two assists for Campbell, which concluded an unbeaten home schedule at 7-0-1 and set a program record for most goals scored against a Big South opponent.

Campbell, which started the season 0-3-1, will be the top-seeded team in next week’s Big South tournament and will face fourth-seeded Gardner-Webb on Thursday (November 3) at the Matthews SportsPlex. Second-seeded USC Upstate will meet third seed Radford in the other semifinal. The title match is scheduled for Sunday, November 6.

Jackie Richards and Mary Tierney added two assists each for the Camels, who led 3-0 at halftime and added three more before the hour mark. Hayley Krahenbil, who had not played since August due to injury, tacked on the final goal with just 24 seconds left in the match.

The Camels finished with a 21-3 advantage in shots and took eight corner kicks to just one for the Lancers (5-9-4, 2-5-2).

Liston opened the scoring just 1:22 into the contest when she netted a rebound after Longwood keeper Sadie Kerns saved but could not hold Elyssa Nowowieski’s shot.

Donald doubled the lead in the 29th minute on a rebound from Richards’ blast. Late in the first half, Tierney dribbled down the left flank and hit a low cross into the box that senior Kristen Jensen netted for her first career goal with only 2.7 seconds left in the period.

Olivia Neal controlled a loose ball in the attacking third and sent a left-footed blast inside the right post for her third goal of the year in the 49th minute. Just five minutes later, sophomore Sage Dougherty headed Liston’s corner kick off the bar and in for her first career strike.

Less than three minutes later, Donald added her second of the night and eighth of the season. Dougherty played the ball down the left flank to Richards, who found Donald open in the box.

Just two seconds before the hour mark, Kaleigh Backlund added her fifth goal of the year on a header off assists from Tierney and Liston. Krahenbil ended the night when she scored off a failed clearance in the area.

Campbell improved to 30-4-4 in Big South regular season play since 2019 and ran its overall home field record to 26-4-4 in the same span.

(Campbell media services provided the basis for this report)

Jessica Donald scores her second goal in the title-clinching contest.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)

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