The High Point University women’s soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision to Winthrop on Thursday night in Rock Hill, S.C. after the Eagles scored twice in the final 20 minutes of action. The Panthers outshot Winthrop 19-10 in the game but were unable to find a goal. “I thought we really dominated play in the first half and created some great chances but we couldn’t finish,” head coach Marty Beall said. “Unfortunately in the second half we didn’t keep possession and were unable to create quality chances. Give credit to Winthrop they came in with a good game plan and got two goals on counter attacks.” The loss is High Point’s first in conference play this season and it drops the Panthers to 4-8-1 overall and 2-1-0 in the Big South. Winthrop moves back above .500 with a 6-5-0 overall record and a 2-1-0 mark in the Big South. HPU controlled the run of play throughout the first half, finishing with an 11-5 edge in shots and a 5-0 edge in corner kicks. The Panthers put five of their 11 shots on frame, but were unable to beat WU keeper Sarah Schippers. Freshman Jacky Kessler (Middletown, Md./Middletown) had three shots in the opening frame with two on goal. The match remained scoreless until Winthrop’s Krystyna Freda split two HPU defenders and scored her eighth goal of the season on a counter attack in the 69th minute to put WU up 1-0. The Eagles cleared a ball out of the back to Winthrop’s Lia Gorden who turned and hit it over the top of the High Point backline to the speedy Freda. Following the goal, HPU pressed forward looking for an equalizer but in the 85th minute Freda intercepted a High Point pass in the Panthers’ half and played it out wide left to Kylene Babauta. Babauta took two touches before hitting a high shot into the far-side netting for the insurance goal. Kessler led High Point with five shots and three on goal in the match while senior Katie Taber (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) had three shots with two on frame. Senior Andrea Ritchie (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) made five saves in the loss. High Point returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 8 when the team heads to Boiling Springs, N.C., to take on Gardner-Webb. HPU is 5-2-1 all-time against the Running Bulldogs including two wins last season. The Panthers won, 3-1, at home during the regular season behind a hat trick by sophomore Kelli Joline (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) and 1-0 in the Big South Championship on an overtime bicycle kick goal by Jillie Johnston.

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