Mount St. Mary's scored two first half goals in the first 20 minutes of the game and held on for a 2-1 victory over High Point University at the James Madison University Invitational in the first ever meeting between the two teams.

Chris Wheeler scored the first goal for the Mountaineers when The Mount was awarded a penalty kick 2:27 into the match.  HPU goalkeeper Michael Chesler guessed to the right side on the kick and Wheeler went to the left.  Mount St. Mary's got its second goal in the 20th minute of play when Vinnie Berry served a ball to Eric Detzel into the box who volleyed the ball into the back right corner for a 2-0 advantage.

"This is a role-reversal from the other game, we came out flat this game and they jumped on us early", stated head coach Dustin Fonder. 

A repeat of their first match in the JMU Invitational vs. Wofford, HPU found some hard luck on their goal opportunities.  At the 32:08 mark, forward Karo Okiomah beat two defenders who played a ball across to fellow forward Chris Shrum who hit the right post.  About five minutes later forward Deon Cuffie-Joseph took shot from just inside the 18 yard-box and hit the left post.

A minute into the second half, midfielder Hilaire Babou found the head of Shrum which took a spectacular save from Mount St. Mary's goalie Chris Davis to save the would-be goal.   The luck did not shift to Shrum's side yet as the senior took a shot from 15 yards out which hit the post again and then less than two minutes later had another header hit the post. 

The Panthers stayed on the offensive the remainder of the second half.  With 14 minutes left in the game, Cuffie-Joseph beat a defender down the right side serving a ball that rolled across the box before a Mountaineer defender cleared the ball.  Finally with 1:33 left midfielder Mike Stephenson got HPU on the board after he received a ball from Shrum who faked a defender and played it across to Stephenson who knocked it home from 16 yards out. 

In the second half of play, HPU held a 9-3 advantage in shots and 5-2 edge in corner kicks but couldn't piece it all together.

 "We picked up the intensity in the second half", Fonder said.  "That was our best half of soccer we played all year but we couldn't find the back of the net.  When our scoring opportunities turn into goals, this will be a dangerous team to play.  The weekend didn't turn out the way we had hoped, but we will take a lot of positives from the weekend and improve on our mistakes and get ready for Longwood on Wednesday."

Chesler played the full game making four saves between the pipes for High Point.  For Mount St. Mary's, Davis picked up the win and made five saves.  Overall, the Panthers held a 17-11 edge in shots.  The two sides were equal in corner kicks at six apiece.

The loss drops HPU to 1-2 on the season.  They return to action on Wednesday, September 10 when they host Longwood at Vert Track and Soccer Stadium.  Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m.