Box Score High Point University sophomore Sara Rager tallied two goals and a pair of assists in leading the Panthers to a 6-0 shutout victory on the road at South Carolina State on Sunday afternoon.

HPU improves to 4-2-4 on the year while S.C. State dips to 1-3-1. The game, which was originally scheduled for Friday but moved to Sunday due to inclement weather, marked the final non-conference game of the season for the Panthers.

High Point dominated the match on both ends of the field. HPU held a 24-1 advantage in shot attempts while securing a 9-1 margin in corner kicks. Defensively, the Panthers recorded their fourth shutout of the season despite having to start three true freshmen on their backline because of injuries.

The Panthers netted their first goal of the game in the 18th minute when redshirt-freshman Karra Damascus took a pass from freshman Katie Taber down the middle of the field and beat the SCSU goalkeeper. The goal was Damascus' team-leading fifth score of the season.

Just four minutes later, senior Renee Hitchcock made it 2-0 in favor of High Point, converting a nice assist from junior Laura Eldridge. Hitchcock has now scored a goal in two straight games for the Panthers. Rager scored the first of her two goals of the game in the 29th minute to give HPU a 3-0 advantage.

Rager slipped a ball to sophomore Jillie Johnston less than three minutes later for the team's fourth tally of the opening half. The goal was Johnston's first of the season and second of her career. The Panthers capped their first half scoring with a fifth goal with just 18 seconds remaining in the period. Rager connected with junior Danielle Eldridge for the tally. The assist was Rager's team-leading sixth of the season and the goal was Danielle Eldridge's first of her career.

The Panthers maintained control of the game throughout the closing period and closed the scoring with a final goal in the 81st minute. Rager, who became the third HPU player this season with a multi-goal performance, collected a wide service from redshirt-freshman Kendra Edwards. Edwards, one of the team's goalkeepers, made her collegiate debut as a field player in the contest at right forward.

Junior netminder Marisa Abbott, an All-Big South performer last year, picked up the shutout in her first appearance of the season for HPU between the pipes. Abbott was injured in last year's Big South Tournament and had offseason surgery that kept her from playing earlier this season.

High Point next opens Big South Conference play with a game at in-state rival UNC Asheville on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The game not only marks the start of league play but also signals the end of a seven-game road stretch for HPU.