Box Score

The High Point University men's soccer battled Mercer to a 2-2 tie in the final game of the Flash Gordon Motors Invitational at Vert Stadium on Sunday evening. Junior Karo Okiomah and sophomore Shane Malcolm each scored for HPU in the draw.

“I thought the team's effort and energy were excellent,” head coach Dustin Fonder said. “We would have liked to score some more goals since we had some good attacking play but credit to a well-coached Mercer team. They play a disruptive brand of soccer and that is not a negative, that's a positive. The reason you schedule games like this is that it will help us prepare for a physical opponent in the future.”

The Panthers opened the game with a bang, scoring a goal in just the fourth minute. Sophomore Fejiro Okiomah beat a two-on-one trap at the left baseline and sent a cross back in front of net where Malcolm ran onto it and hit a hard shot into the open net to put High Point up 1-0.

“My goal today was a result of the team's emphasis on working off the ball to get in position to make a play,” Malcolm said. “If you can put yourself in the right place and do the work to get there on time everything becomes easier.”

Mercer answered back in the ninth minute when Ryan King caused a turnover in the midfield and found a streaking Joshua Ball who beat HPU goalkeeper Michael Chesler with a shot from 15-yards out.

The first half was an up-and-down period with both teams earning several chances, but it was High Point that managed to find a second goal with a tally by Karo Okiomah in the 44th minute. Senior Scott Rojo carried the ball up the left side and lofted a pass up over the backline to Karo Okiomah who made a diagonal run into the box. The junior pulled the down ball and used a touch to beat the goalie before tapping it in to the net for his second goal of the season.

After the break, High Point took control of the game but the Bears managed to find a second goal with a score by Ian Cameron against the run of play. Mercer sent the ball into the box with a long kick from the back. It was partially cleared by the High Point defense but Cameron pounced on the ball and hit a shot in from the edge of the 18.

The Panthers continued to press forward, outshooting Mercer 12-1 over the rest of the second half and the two overtime periods, but High Point couldn't find the third goal as several close chances went wanting.

Twice freshman Adam Sewell had a header off a corner but both times it was blocked and cleared away. Karo Okiomah had a header sail just past the right post and a shot in the final second by Rojo was stopped with an athletic save by Mercer's Dan Van Valkinburgh.

The Panthers return to action on Saturday, Sept. 18, when they travel to Williamsburg, Va., to play William & Mary. The Tribe has opened the season with three-straight wins, including a 2-1 win over West Virginia. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.