For the third consecutive game on the opening day of the Big South Conference Women's Soccer Championship Tournament, it took play into a pair of overtime sessions to decide a winner as Liberty outlasted High Point, 3-2, to advance to the semifinal round.
The extra-time thriller featured 38 total shots and 21 saves between the two squads. High Point tallied 17 shots including 10 on goal while Liberty finished with 21 shots and 11 on goal. High Point goalkeeper Hannah Nail recorded a career-best eight stops in the game while Liberty's Katherine Neff also tallied eight saves.
The Flames looked to grab the early lead posting several scoring chances in the opening minutes of play. Liberty saw a header carom off the crossbar, and a pair of diving saves by Nail, keep the ball out of the net.
High Point struck first when junior Megan Fielden drove a free kick on goal from 35-yards out that was deflected by Neff before being punched back into the net by sophomore Leslie Long at 10:38.
Things heated up in the closing five minutes of play in the first half. Junior Suzanne Edwards headed a ball over the outstretched hands of Nail off a corner kick by senior Kristin Faxon to knot the score at 1-1 at the 41:52 mark. Less than a minute later (42:48), HPU freshman Laura Eldridge converted a penalty kick after Karolina Straby was taken down in the box by a Liberty defender.
The Panthers held a 2-1 lead at intermission with both squads taking seven shots and HPU owning a 6-4 edge in shots on goal.
HPU looked to widen their advantage just five minutes into the second half when Eldridge attempted another penalty kick, but was stopped on a save by LU's Katherine Neff.
Liberty was able to even the score at two goals each, when Kendall Bartholomew chased down a long throw in by sophomore Amy Oberlin down the right side and floated a shot over the head of Nail from just inside the 18-yard box at 65:47.
Despite solid scoring opportunities for both squads in the final 10 minutes, neither team was able to score the game winner in regulation sending the game into overtime.
After playing a scoreless first overtime period, High Point had a pair of scoring chances in the opening minute of the second overtime session but Straby's shot attempt was kick saved by Neff then Eldridge had a drive just sail high over the net.
The Flames answered with the golden goal less than a minute later (101:12) as Faxon lofted a shot from the left corner into the right side of the goal following a pair of passes up the sideline from Bartholomew and junior Rachel Hetrick.
"I could not have asked for more from this team," said HPU head coach Michelle Rayner. "We never got a break all season long and yet they just kept coming out everyday and worked harder. They deserved a better outcome tonight but it just wasn't to be for us. I am so proud of their effort tonight. Every player left all they had on the field and played with ever ounce of passion and heart in this game."
High Point ends the season at 4-15. Liberty improves to 8-7-1 on the year and advances to Friday's 7:30 p.m. semifinal match-up with the winner of the Coastal Carolina-Radford day one nightcap.
