HPU earns No. 1 seed in Big South Tourney

by Joe Arancio

October 24, 2012

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - With its 2-0 win over Campbell on Tuesday night, the High Point University women's soccer team clinched its second Big South Regular Season Championship in three seasons. The Panthers finished with an 8-1-2 record and 26 points in conference action to claim the title.

The eight conference wins set a new program high for HPU. High Point previously shared a Big South Regular Season Championship in 2010 when the team was part of an historic five-way tie for first place. The Panthers went on to win the Big South Tournament that season and represented the Big South in the NCAA Tournament.

High Point earned the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Big South Tournament and will play host to No. 8 Charleston Southern at Vert Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. The Panthers picked up a 4-0 road win over the Lady Buccaneers in the two teams' regular-season meeting. Sophomore Jacky Kessler led HPU on the day with two goals and two assists.

Radford and Longwood each finished the season with 25 points, with the Highlanders holding the tie breaker to earn the No. 2 position. RU finished the Big South season with a 7-0-4 mark. The No. 3 seeded Lancers turned in a Conference record of 8-2-1. In the No. 4 slot was Winthrop with a 7-2-2 record in the League for 23 points. Coastal Carolina found itself at No. 5 with a record of 7-4-0 and 21 points, as Liberty's 5-4-2 record and 17 points was good for the sixth seed. Campbell and Charleston Southern turned in identical Big South records of 5-6-0 for 15 points. Campbell picked up the win over CSU in the regular season to break the tie and earn the No. 7 seed, leaving Charleston Southern the eighth position.

The 2012 Big South Women's Soccer Championship quarterfinals will be played at campus sites on Saturday, Oct. 27 before moving to Rock Hill, S.C. for the semifinals and finals Nov. 2-4. The quarterfinals and semifinals will air on the Big South Network, with the finals airing on ESPN3. The Big South's Tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament.

2012 Big South Championship Schedule

Saturday, Oct. 27 (Campus Sites) - Quarterfinals
Game 1: No. 5 Coastal Carolina at No. 4 Winthrop, 6 p.m.
Game 2: No. 8 Charleston Southern at No. 1 High Point, 7 p.m.
Game 3: No. 7 Campbell at No. 2 Radford, 7 p.m.
Game 4: No. 6 Liberty at No. 3 Longwood, 6 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 2 (Rock Hill, S.C.) - Semifinals
Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 4:30 p.m.
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 4 (Rock Hill, S.C.) – Big South Championship Game
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game winner 6, 2 p.m.