BOX SCORE
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Sophomore Fejiro Okiomah scored his second goal of the season in the 48th minute to help lead the High Point University men's soccer team to a 1-0 win over Georgia Southern in the HPU Flash Gordon Motors Invitational at Vert Stadium on Friday night.

“In the first half we never really found a rhythm and our challenge at half time was to pick up the tempo and we did that and were able to find a goal,” head coach Dustin Fonder said. “We just stressed the need to keep the ball. We didn't need to play direct every time. We just told them to think about when to play direct and when to play indirect.”

The Panthers came out and immediately went on the attack in the second half, using their strength and speed to push GSU back on their heels. Just over two minutes into the period sophomore Shane Malcolm picked up the ball in the midfield and started a break into the offensive third, carrying the ball to the edge of the 18 before springing Okiomah with a throughball back to the middle. The sophomore outraced the Eagles' goalie to the ball and hit a shot to the far post for the score.

Neither team was able to gain control of the game in the first half as the possession swung back and forth between both squads. Georgia Southern had two good chances from inside the 18 but were denied both times by excellent saves from Panthers' goalkeeper Michael Chesler.

After the High Point score, the game developed into a physical contest with the two teams combining for 22 fouls. Each team received three cautions in the second half and a total of nine cautions were given out in the match.

Georgia Southern pushed forward throughout the second half looking for a tying goal but the HPU back four remained well organized, never allowing the Eagles a good opportunity for an equalizer. GSU managed just two shots in the second 45 with just one on frame.

“A lot of our success on defense has to do with the players in front of me,” Chesler said. “They really limit the shotsI face which helps make it easier to pitch a shutout. I just try to help organize the defense and get them in better spots because the easier their job is the easier my job is.”

The shutout was HPU's third in four games to start the season and the 10th of Chesler's career. The junior sits just one clean sheet shy of the High Point Division I record for career shutouts which was set by Eric Lona from 1999-02.

“We are very pleased that this is the third game counting exhibitions that have played at home and we have recorded a shutout in all three,” Fonder said. “We feel really good about turning our home field into a big advantage. We want to thank the fans who come out and cheer us on, I think it has made a big difference in these 1-0 games.”

The Panthers return to Vert to play their second game of the Flash Gordon Motors Invitational on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. when they take on Mercer. The Bears won 3-0 over Radford earlier in the day in the first game of the invitational.