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Freshman Kelli Joline recorded her first collegiate hat trick with three second-half goals to lead the High Point University women's soccer team to a 3-1 comeback win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday evening in Vert Stadium.

“Tonight was a good conference battle, it was a real end-to-end game,” head coach Marty Beall said. “In the first half they capitalized on a chance but this team once again showed their resilience and fought back in the second half. Kelli Joline had three great goals and she keeps getting better and better. I am very excited for her and hope that she can build confidence from this going forward.”

The three goals by Joline were the most in a game by an HPU player in the school's Division I era. Joline moves into the team lead with five goals and 12 points on the season.

Joline tied the game at 1-1 in the 57th minute when senior Sara Rager flicked on a cross to Joline in the left side of the penalty area and the freshman slotted the ball past The Bulldogs' keeper, Chelsea Hearne, into the lower left corner of the goal. Senior Jillie Johnston started the play with a dangerous cross into the box which Rager got her head onto.

Just one minute later, Joline again found the back of the net off an assist by Rager. Rager controlled the ball at the top of the box and hit a through ball to Joline to put her one-on-one with the GWU keeper. Joline then connected with a hard shot to an open area of the goal from six-yards out.

Joline completed the hat trick in the 88th minute to put High Point up, 3-1. Junior Katie Taber possessed the ball at midfield and hit a perfectly weighted ball into the space behind the GWU backline. Joline outraced the defense to the ball before beating Hearne one-on-one with a dribble move at the edge of the 18 and tapping it in.

“It was amazing to record a hat trick here tonight, it felt great,” Joline said. “I am so proud of the team and the way we were able to fight back tonight. It was a great team effort across the board. Scoring those three goals tonight really helps my confidence and motivates me to continue to do well for my team.”

High Point controlled the match early in the first half, drawing a corner and putting up two shots in the opening minute. The Panthers' second shot by sophomore Janay Whittaker forced a fingertip save by Hearne.

Gardner-Webb opened the scoring with a goal against the run of play by Megan Reimer in the seventh minute. Reimer got the ball behind the HPU defense on the left edge of six-yard box and beat goalkeeper Andrea Ritchie one-on-one with a shot to the far side.

High Point continued to control possession and had several good chances for an equalizer but went into the half still trailing, 1-0.

The game was an up-and-down affair with very little action coming in the midfield. The two teams combined for 36 shots with HPU leading the count, 20-16.

The Panthers improve to 4-9-0 overall and 2-1-0 in the Big South with the win while Gardner-Webb falls to 3-7-2 overall and 0-2-0 in the Big South.

High Point will attempt to continue its strong play on Monday, Oct. 11, when the team welcomes Winthrop to Vert Stadum. The game will be a rematch of last season's Big South Championship, which the Panthers claimed in penalty kicks after the contest ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Kick-off for the game is set for 7 p.m.