BOX SCORE
The High Point University women's soccer team scored three second-half goals, including two by junior
Katie Taber, to upset Clemson, 4-3, at the Carolina Cup in Columbia, S.C., on Sunday afternoon. The win was HPU's first ever over an ACC opponent.
“We made great strides as a program today,“ head coach
Marty Beall said. “Scoring four goals against an ACC team is big, especially a team that entered the game 5-1-0. We showed incredible work ethic and worked hard for 90 minutes.”
Trailing 2-1 after the first half, the Panthers came out in the second half and immediately took control of the game. High Point controlled the ball well, stringing passes together around the field to create offensive opportunities. HPU found the game tying goal in just the ninth minute of the second half when senior
Sara Rager received the ball in the midfield and carried it up the right side before sending a cross into the box. Taber made a run to the near post and got on the end of the pass, flicking it over the Clemson goalie for her first goal of the season.
High Point got on the board again just five minutes later as freshman
Kelli Joline beat a defender one-on-one on the right side before lofting a ball to the far post where freshman
Brooke Lisson connected with a solid shot into the net for her first collegiate score.
Taber struck again for her second goal of the match in the 67th minute with a 20-yard shot from the right to the far post. Taber received the ball from the backline and ran at her defender, beating her one-on-one. The junior let loose with a hard shot from just outside the box on the right wing, sending it into the left-side netting.
“I was very impressed with how we started the second half,” Beall said. “We had given up a goal late in the first half, which can deflate a lot of teams, but we came out and scored three quick goals to go up 4-2. That speaks volumes about the character of this team.”
The Panthers would hold their 4-2 lead through most of the second half, before a late header by Clemson's Katie Uyenshi off a corner made the score 4-3. The Tigers were unable to pull even though as time expired with High Point still leading by one goal.
HPU came out hot in the first stringing passes together and finishing a goal in just the second minute of play when freshman
Sammy Vercellino made an overlapping run and delivered a cross into the box which Joline corralled with one touch before beating the goalie with a close range shot for her first collegiate goal.
Clemson would tie the game with a goal off a rebound in the 13th minute and the game settled into an even contest with both teams earning possession and offensive opportunities.
The match looked destined to head into overtime tied but with just two minutes left in the period the Tiger's Katie Biggerstaff scored a goal off a cross to send the team's into the locker room with Clemson leading 2-1.
The four goals scored by High Point is tied for third-most in the HPU Division I era and is the highest single-game total since November 2002 when The Panthers scored five in a game against Coastal Carolina.
Taber and Joline were both named to the Carolina Cup All-Tournament team.
High Point returns to Vert Stadium for the first time in six games on Friday, Sept. 17, when the Panthers will host No. 16 Wake Forest. Kick-off for the game against the Demon Deacons is set for 7 p.m.
