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Markus Gronli and Jonas Kalchner played pivotal roles for a Longwood men’s soccer team that put together one of its best seasons since joining the Big South. The duo were named to the VaSID All-State Team on Thursday, with Gronli being selected to the VaSID All-State First Team while Kalchner earned a slot on the VaSID All-State Second Team.

The duo became the first Lancer selections since 2016, when Finnley Wyatt and Dan Campos earned a first and second team nod. Gronli and Kalchner helped power the Lancers to a third-place finish in the Big South.

Gronli, an All-Big South First Team selection, was dynamic on the attack as the fulcrum of Longwood’s offense. The senior was both Longwood’s leading goal-scorer and assist man, and he ranked in the top 10 in the Big South in points, goals and assists. His seven goals tied for fourth in a single season in the team’s Division I history, and he is now second all-time in assists after getting credit for five on the season.

Kalchner earned a spot on the All-Big South Second Team after serving as a steady presence along the Longwood back line. He helped the Lancer defense rank fourth in the Big South in goals against average while playing a team-high 1,623 minutes across 18 matches. In 14 matches, the German went the distance, including a pair of 110 minute double-overtime efforts, and he played every minute of the final 11 matches of the season.

Longwood finished the season 6-10-2 overall while notching a 4-3-1 record in conference play.