Nov. 11 – HIGH POINT – High Point University men’s soccer team, which scored their best goal of the season with their strong defense, drew 5-0 to Gardner in a semi-final of the Big South tournament at Vert Stadium on Wednesday -Webb over.
The Panthers took the lead by three goals in the first half, and that was more than enough as the defense didn’t allow the Runnin ‘Bulldogs to fire a shot on goal until the last minute, long after HPU had used their reserves.
With their ninth shutout overall and their eighth against Big South opponents, the second seeded Panthers improved to 9-6-3 and advanced in the championship game on Sunday in Campbell against the No. 1 seeded Campbell. The Camels defeated Radford 5-1 on Wednesday.
“I’m looking forward to the boys,” said HPU head coach Zach Haines. “They put together a whole game. … I’m happy for the guys on both sides of the ball because we conceded the goal and the guys worked so hard and we got some really good results. Chances tonight. It was an all-round great performance. “
HPU limited Gardner-Webb from 15 to just four shots at launch. HPU reserve keeper Gunnar Siegel was credited with the only save after replacing starter Holden Trent in the closing minutes.
“That was our best performance this season,” said Haines. “We had a few at this level, but we couldn’t quite break away and play our chances, so the games stayed a little closer. We had a more comfortable result. But the basis for that is defense. “
Cooper Lindfelt, Sebastain Chalbaud, MD Myers, Ashton Perkins and Jackson Ruckman each scored one as the Panthers put together their best single-game goal production of the season. The previous best performances were three goals in games against Gardner-Webb and Elon.
Lindfelt, a defender, hit a ball thrown in by Mason Marcey after 22 minutes. Marcey controlled the ball in a scramble after 32 minutes, leading it to Chalbaud and burying a shot from the top of the box.
The story goes on
Myers put a shot into the net from near the top of the box three minutes later, scoring his sixth goal of the season.
Perkins scored in the 57th minute on the third shot of a sequence in which Myers had the first two. Myers tried to whip the ball past Gardner Webb keeper Bobby Spradlin when he came out in defense.
Spradlin blocked the shot and Myers saved another attempt with the ricochet. The ball hit the bottom bar and bounced off Perkins, who hit from the left.
Ruckman scored his first college goal in the 76th minute with a shot from the top of the box on the right.
gsmith@hpenews.com – 336-888-3518
