Third-seeded High Point advanced to the semifinals of the Big South Conference Women's Soccer tournament on Thursday afternoon using a pair of late second half goals to earn the 3-1 victory over sixth-seeded Radford at Blackbaud Stadium.
With the win, HPU improves to 10-7-2 and snaps a two-game losing skid in tournament openers. Radford ends its season with a 9-10-0 record following the loss. High Point will face No. 6 seed UNC Asheville at 7 p.m. on Friday.
High Point freshman Sara Rager, a member of the Big South All-Freshman squad, was the catalyst in the win scoring a pair of goals. Rager now shares the team lead five scores this season.
The Panthers were the aggressors early in the game. The first near score of the game came at 9:01 when HPU's Amy Anzovino header off a corner deflected off the side post. Seconds later Radford goalkeeper Emily Heath made her first save of the night. At 11:35 Rager intercepted a ball played back to Heath, dribbled around the keeper and carried the ball easily into an open net for the 1-0 lead.
Midway through the opening half, Radford's leading scorer Brianna Kipper made a run towards the High Point goal on a break away, but was shut out in a one-on-one situation against HPU netminder Marisa Abbott. During the play, the two players collided resulting in Abbott, a second team All-Big South selection, leaving the game with an injured arm. HPU senior Hannah Nail replaced her between the Panther pipes.
Kipper got off her second shot of the night at 31:43, missing just wide of the net. Minutes later, Kipper found her way to another breakaway, but was stopped for the third time by Nail.
At 38:03, Highlander McKenzie Vergara gathered a loose ball in the box and tapped it into the net for the equalizing score just before the halftime break.
High Point held a 7-4 shot advantage at the half and tallied four corner kicks to Radford's none.
For the first twenty minutes of the second-half, both teams had quality chances to record the game winner but neither squad was able to capitalize.
The Panthers were finally able to convert in the 78th minute when a corner kick by junior Leslie Long deflected off a Radford defender and into her own net for a High Point goal and a 2-1 lead. Less than two minutes later, Rager scored her second goal of the night by collecting the rebound off her own shot attempt.
High Point finished the game with twice as many shots as Radford with 18, as well as twice as many corner kicks with eight. The High Point goalies made four saves on the night, while Radford goalie tallied four saves on the night. Rager led High Point with seven shots and two goals, marking her first multi-goal game of the season. Kipper led Radford with six shots.
"I've got to give credit to a very good Radford team," said third-year HPU head coach Michelle Rayner, who earned her first career Big South Tournament win. "More importantly, I have to credit my team for everything they've fought through today and this season. This is a very special team; a very resilient team. I give special credit to Sara Rager, who finished a few key opportunities. This was a great win, but we still have a lot of work to do and goals to accomplish."
In early action at the Big South Tournament, No. 4 seed Winthrop earned a hard fought 3-2 overtime win over No. 5 seed Liberty. Top-seeded Coastal Carolina advanced to the semifinals with a 1-0 victory against No. 8 seed VMI. Tournament host and No. 2 seed Charleston Southern was upset by No. 6 UNC Asheville in the nightcap, falling in penalty kicks 4-2.
