The High Point University women's soccer team suffered a tough 3-1 loss at East Carolina on Friday night in the season-opening game for both squads.

HPU (0-1) and ECU (1-0) played to a scoreless draw in the opening half before tallying four scores in the final 45 minutes of play. Senior Megan Fielden recorded the Panthers first goal of the season.

"Against a regionally ranked team I thought we definitely were able to compete with them," said HPU third-year head coach Michelle Rayner. "We just need to get better and finish games. I thought ECU stuck to their game plan and we weren't able to stick with ours for the entire game. A pair of mental lapses for us resulted in two goals for them. They were able to neutralize our speed with a tight field and a strong-legged goalkeeper."

After the tightly contested first half, Jami Dickerson got the Lady Pirates on the board first, scoring on a header off of a Nicole Moore corner kick at the 48:01 mark.

High Point answered, knotting the game at 1-1 on Fielden's throw with 36:01 remaining in the second half. However, on the very next possession, Blair Heffner tallied her first of two goals in the game, after taking a pass from Jessica Swanson with 35:30 to play in regulation.

Heffner increased the ECU lead to two goals after collecting a pass from Sarah Kirkley at midfield and dribbling down the middle of the field for the score with just under seven minutes to play.

High Point continues its season-opening road swing on Sunday when the Panthers visit in-state foe Davidson at 2 p.m.