The High Point University women's soccer team battled top-seeded and defending National Champion North Carolina on Friday night to a 6-1 decision at the Tar Heels home stadium, Fetzer Field, in opening round action of the 2007 NCAA College Cup Tournament.
The Panthers, who were making just the program's second NCAA Tournament appearance after winning last weekend's Big South Tournament, finish the year with an 11-8-3 mark. North Carolina improved to 18-3-1 and advance to Sunday's second round tournament game against the winner of Friday night's nightcap between UNC Greensboro and Memphis.
"First of all, I am very proud of the heart and determination of my team this season," said HPU head coach Michelle Rayner. "We faced many adversities this year, but this group refused to quit and tonight's game was the reward for that unwavering commitment. North Carolina is obviously an extremely talented team with a rich soccer tradition and this was a great opportunity for our players to compete with some of the country's best players. I was proud of how we kept battling tonight and it was a special moment for our team to score that first HPU NCAA Tournament goal."
Carolina, who pressured the Panther defense from the opening kickoff, grabbed the early 1-0 lead when Whitney Engen blasted a knuckleball from 30-yards out that just slipped through HPU keeper Hannah Nail's hands at 13:51. Yael Averbuch, who had a pair of first half helpers, and Robyn Gayle assisted on the play.
UNC added a second score just under a minute later (14:53), when Tar Heels Engen headed down an HPU goal kick to a streaking Casey Nogueria who rushed ahead of a Panther defender and pushed a shot past a diving Nail. Meghan Klingenberg ripped a shot in the 20th minute (19:51) from the top of the box glancing the ball off the bottom of the crossbar into the net just eluding a leaping save attempt by Nail for Carolina's third tally.
Engen added the Tar Heel's fourth goal of the half and her second of the game at 22:24, finishing a well-positioned cross from Nikki Washington, who had ran down a long field switch by Averbuch.
North Carolina held a 13-1 advantage in shot attempts in the opening half while also owning a 6-0 edge in corner kick attempts. HPU had five saves in the frame including four by Nail.
After making a diving stop on an one-on-one situation early in the second half, Nail came up just short in her next attempt as Rachel Givan beat her with a well-driven ball that found the left side of the net following a cross field feed from Ariel Harris at 49:16.
Senior Amy Anzovino made HPU history in the 55th minute (54:20) when she settled a well played forward feed from Laura Eldridge, switched the ball past a UNC defender and beat Tar Heel netminder Anna Rodenbough for the goal making the score 5-1. The score marked the first High Point goal in NCAA Tournament play. It also marks just the fifth time in 12 NCAA Tournament appearances that a Big South squad has tallied a point, and the first goal since Radford earned a score in 2002 in a 6-1 loss at UNC.
Averbuch answered the Panther score just four minutes later (58:46) lacing a free kick from near the 18-yard box line past the edge of the HPU wall just inside the left post.
The Tar Heels saw several other scoring chances either snuffed out by Nail or deflect off the post and crossbars during the remainder of the period.
For the game, North Carolina earned a 30-2 shot advantage and led 12-2 in corner kicks. Nail matched a career best in her final collegiate game stopping eight shots.
