Longwood will play for the Big South men’s soccer championship Saturday after defeating regular-season champion and top-seeded High Point 3-1 in the conference semifinals.
The Lancers will face Gardner-Webb at 7 p.m. in the championship match. ESPN will broadcast the game. The appearance is Longwood’s first in the Big South final since 2016, when Radford defeated the Lancers 1-0.
A return to the title match
Longwood has reached the Big South tournament eight times since joining the conference in 2012. The Lancers advanced to the semifinals for the second time in the past three seasons under coach Paul Gilbert before earning their place in Saturday’s championship match.
The program has played in six Division I championship games and seven conference title matches overall. Longwood previously won Atlantic Soccer Conference championships in 2008 and 2011, then claimed its first conference title in 2000 as a member of the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference.
Road success drives Longwood
The victory at High Point gave Longwood its seventh road win of the season, the most in program history. The Lancers have won four consecutive road matches and share the national lead in road victories with Cal Baptist.
- Longwood has 10 wins this season, the second-highest total in its Division I history.
- The program record is 11 wins, set in 2011.
- The Lancers have won seven road matches, a school record.
Longwood’s offense has also produced the best statistical season in the program’s Division I history. The Lancers have established school records with 123 points, 40 goals and 43 assists.
Nationally, Longwood ranks 11th in total points, 12th in total goals, 14th in points per game, 16th in total assists and 17th in both assists per game and scoring offense. The team is averaging 2.22 goals per game and 6.83 points per game.
Gardner-Webb matchup
Gardner-Webb leads the all-time series against Longwood 11-9-2. The Runnin’ Bulldogs won the regular-season meeting 3-0, although two of their goals came on penalty kicks. Longwood had 22 shots in that match, its second-highest total of the 2026 season, and missed two penalty kicks.
The teams have met once previously in the Big South tournament. Gardner-Webb won that 2021 first-round match 2-1 in Farmville, Virginia. Saturday’s final will be Longwood’s first chance to win the Big South championship since joining the conference.
