GREENSBORO, N.C. - The High Point University men's soccer team went on the road and grabbed a 3-0 win over No. 15 UNC Greensboro on Wednesday night in Greensboro, N.C. Junior Mamadee Nyepon scored twice for the Panthers to lead HPU to its first win of the season.

"We are very pleased to get the win here tonight," head coach Dustin Fonder said. "We were desperate for a win and I feel like our effort out there showed that. We were hungry from start to finish. Credit to UNC Greensboro, they are a very good program and there is a reason they are nationally ranked.  When you don't have depth in college soccer it is very hard to compete and tonight we had that depth."

Neither team was able to find the back of the net in a scoreless first half. UNC Greensboro had the better of the play in the opening 20 minutes with three shots on goal, but High Point settled down and began to find its chances as the half came to a close. Freshman Matt Gweh hit a hard shot just over the crossbar off a throw in by senior Adam Sewell in the 42nd minute and one minute later Nyepon sent a header just wide of the right post.

The Panthers got on the board soon after coming out of the locker room for the start of the second half when Nyepon scored on a header in the 48th minute. Sophomore Austin Yearwood picked up his fourth assist in as many games when he got loose on the left wing and hit a looping cross to the far post. Nyepon dove to the ball and headed it into the net past UNCG keeper Stephen Moffit. The goal broke a 318 minute scoreless streak by the Spartans to start the season. 

UNC Greensboro came close to tying the game in the 71st minute but a shot by Brian Graham was cleared off the line by sophomore Adam Storm. Graham got behind the HPU defense and hit a a slow rolling shot under the arms of sophomore keeper Kody Palmer who had come off his line. The ball appeared to be heading into the goal until Storm swept across and cleared it away for a team save.

HPU doubled its lead four minutes later with a goal off a counter attack by sophomore Erien Campbell to make the score 2-0. Campbell controlled a ball cleared out of the High Point box and carried it 50-yards to edge of the Spartan penalty area before tucking a low shot just inside the right post. The goal was Campbell's second of the season.

High Point's defense continued to stymie the UNCG attack and in the 89th minute Nyepon sealed the win with his second goal of the game and his fourth of the season. Sophomore Ben Burdon dribbled into the box from the right side and cut a pass back to the top of the penalty area. Sewell made a run up the center to draw the defense but let the ball continue to Nyepon who made a late run from the left side. The forward hit a shot with his left foot on his first touch, hitting it off the crossbar and into the goal.

UNC Greensboro finished with a 15-10 edge in shots and put five shots on goal. Palmer made four saves to earn his first win of the season and the 10th clean sheet of his career.

High Point improves to 1-3-0 on the season with the win while the 15th-ranked Spartans drop to 3-1-0.

After opening the season with four-straight road games, The Panthers will return home to Vert Stadium this weekend where they will play host to Navy on Saturday, Sept. 14. Kickoff in the game is set for 7 p.m. 

---

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

ECNL Girls N. Atlantic Players to Watch

Women's NCAA Tournament Round Two Preview

Best of Men's College Soccer Week 13