The High Point University men’s soccer team exploded for six goals in a 6-0 win over Winthrop in Big South conference action Saturday night at Vert Stadium. Senior Karo Okiomah (Austin, Texas/Hendrickson-Pflugerville) and sophomore Alex Martinez (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) each scored twice in the win.

“We are really pleased to pick up the win and get three points in the conference race,” head coach Dustin Fonder said. “More importantly, we are very happy with the team’s performance. We came out and played High Point soccer. There are still some things we can pick apart but we were really getting the movement up top that we have been looking for.”

The win was High Point’s first in conference play this season and improves the Panthers’ record to 3-5-1 overall and 1-1-0 in the Big South. Winthrop falls to 3-6-1 overall on the season and 0-1-0 in the Big South.

The six goals scored by High Point in the game is the second-most scored by the men’s soccer team in the Division I era behind only the nine goals scored against Randolph College on Oct. 12, 2007. It is the most goals scored in a game against a Division I opponent.

Okiomah opened the scoring for High Point in just the 12th minute off a throw in by junior Shane Malcolm (Sunrise, Fla./Piper). The forward slipped behind the Eagle defense on the throw in and five-holed the keeper with his first touch to pick up his third goal of the season.

Martinez doubled the Panthers’ advantage in the 32nd minute when he pounced on a ball in the box and one touched a shot over the keeper from 12 yards away. Malcolm dribbled into the box and popped a pass in the air to the trailing Martinez took the ball out of the air with a lofted shot to the right post.

HPU continued to push forward in the closing minutes of the first half and in the 37th minute found a third score off the head of freshman Mamadee Nyepon (Greensboro, N.C./Walter Hines Page). Sophomore Adam Sewell (Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England/East Norfolk Sixth Form College) sent in a cross from the right corner to Nyepon at the far post. The freshman leaped up and tucked the header just inside the post past the diving Winthrop keeper for his first score of the season.

High Point continued to get chances in the second half and in the 53rd minute Okiomah once again found the back of the net for his second score of the contest. Martinez picked up the assist after taking the ball off a Winthrop defender’s foot and slotting a through ball to Okiomah in the box. The forward split two defenders and hit a low hard shot into the net with his first touch.

Less than two minutes later Martinez scored his second of the night to push the Panther lead to 5-0. Redshirt-junior Ryan Bennett (Cary, N.C./Cary Christian) found space down the left flank and hit Martinez with a cross into the box. The sophomore settled the ball 15 yards in front of goal and ripped a shot to the right side of the net for his team-best sixth score of the season.

Junior Patrick Donahue (Raleigh, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons) wrapped up the scoring for HPU in the 63rd minute with a header off a cross from Bennett for his first goal of the season. Bennett received a pass at the top left corner of the box off a corner kick from junior Shawn Sloan (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) and lofted a cross to the far post where an unmarked Donahue jumped up and headed the ball into the net.

Winthrop outshot High Point on the evening, 19-15, but the Panthers finished with a 10-2 edge in shots on goal. HPU also finished with an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks. Senior Michael Chesler (Highland, Utah/Mountain View) made two saves on the evening to pick up his third win of the season.

Winthrop continues its current road trip when it heads to Boone, N.C., to face Appalachian State on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m.

High Point also returns to non-conference play on Wednesday, Oct. 5, when the team travels to nearby UNC Greensboro to take on the Spartans at 7 p.m. The Panthers are just 5-14-1 all-time against UNCG, but are coming off a 3-1 home win last season. Both Karo Okiomah and junior Fejiro Okiomah (Austin, Texas/Hendrickson-Pflugerville) finished with one goal and one assist in the two-goal win.

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