BOX SCORE

The High Point University women's soccer team battled Winthrop to a 0-0 double-overtime tie Sunday afternoon in Rock Hill, S.C. Senior goalkeeper Marisa Abbott (Troy, N.Y./Tamarac) made nine saves to earn her third shutout of the season.

“I thought it was an even battle, a good conference game,” said head coach Marty Beall. “The girls had a lot of fight in them today for 110 minutes. There are still some things we need to improve on. We need to work on finishing our chances. The good news is that we are creating those chances. You can't finish chances until you create them and the next step is to put them in the net.”

High Point outshot Winthrop 21-18 in the game and held a 5-3 edge in overtime. Freshman Danielle Schepler (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) led HPU with five shots in the game while sophomore Laura Shupe (Cary, N.C./Green Hope) added three with two on frame.

In the 39th minute, the Panthers earned a two-on-one break but could not get the ball in the back of the net as Schepler's initial offering clanged of the crossbar back into play and senior Janine Lind's (Garden City, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) follow sailed high.

Shupe earned a quality scoring chance in the 57th minute, firing a 30-yard shot from the center of the pitch to the left post but the Eagles' keeper made a fantastic diving save to preserve the scoreless tie.

HPU had one last chance to break to the scoreless stalemate in regulation with three shots in the 88th minute. Schepler got the ball in the box, but had two shots blocked by Winthrop defenders. The ball was then cleared out to Shupe who sent a well-hit ball to the top left corner, but it was snagged by the Winthrop keeper.

The tie improves High Points record to 2-12-1 overall and 1-2-1 in the Big South.

HPU returns to the pitch on Saturday, Oct. 17 when they host Liberty at Vert Stadium. The game kicks off at 5 p.m., as part of a High Point soccer doubleheader. The game will be followed by the men's soccer game against Coastal Carolina.