Box Score
Interview with Taylor Feuerstein and David Rochow below.
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Despite a pair of helpers from senior forward Kyle Farmer, the Virginia Military Institute men's soccer team fell 3-2 in its Big South Conference opener against Longwood University Wednesday night.
The Keydets (1-4-0, 0-1-0 BSC) scored early, but could not keep control of the lead at Athletics Complex in a game that featured two ties and three lead changes.
Between the pipes, VMI senior keeper Taylor Feuerstein made eight stops for his season high. Feuerstein made his first start since the squad's season opener at NJIT. The Keydets got tallies from David Rochow and Blake McCauley, each tallying his first of the year. Kyle Farmer had the assist on both tallies.
The Lancers (2-4-0, 2-3-0 BSC) had a trio of goalscorers in Jared Windt, Sam Yardley and Jonathan Kukapa. Kukapa and Anthony Ugorji had the assists with Windt's goal coming on a PK.
VMI was out-shot 10-5 in the game, but capitalized on its opportunities, putting four of those attempts on cage. Lancer keeper Carl Carpenter made two saves on the evening.
McCauley was the lone Keydet with multiple shots, while Rochow, Farmer and Kip Zechman each chipped in one. Longwood's Devin Pierce led the day with five attempts, with three on goal but was stymied and held scoreless by Feuerstein.
Despite not taking any shots in the first half, the Keydets hung ]tough with the Lancers, the most recent addition to the Big South. Keydet keeper Feuerstein made five saves in the first 45 minutes, including several sprawling stops to preserve the clean slate.
With just over five minutes remaining in the first period, Longwood's Ugorji got his head on the ball, aiming for the near post, but Feuerstein dove to his left and made a fingertip save to send the teams scoreless into the halftime break.
VMI came out early in the second half, grabbing a 1-0 lead. Rochow finished a brilliant header to the right post after fellow senior Farmer sailed a header over to Rochow. VMI grabbed the lead just two minutes into the fresh half on the Keydets' first shot of the evening.
But the Lancers patiently waited for their chance, leveling the match in the 74th minute at 1-1. Less than a minute later, Longwood wrested control of the match 2-1 with 15:31 left in regulation. Yardley knocked in a header during a scramble in the box with Kukapa getting the assist.
Down but not out, the Keydets once again leveled the game on McCauley's diving header. Farmer once again served up the assist in the 80th minute.
Once again the Lancers grabbed the lead, 3-2, with just over seven minutes on the board. Ugorji deked his defender and found an open Kukapa in front of the goal mouth.
VMI returns to action next Tuesday when it continues its three-game road run. The Keydets will take on Atlantic Coast Conference foe Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. at the Hokies' Thompson Field.
