BOX SCORE
A goal by junior
Shawn Sloan in the final minute of double overtime lifted the High Point University men's soccer team to a 2-1 win over UNC Greensboro on Wednesday night in Greensboro, N.C. The midfielder finished with a goal and an assist in the win.
“I am really pleased to get a win on the road,” head coach
Dustin Fonder said. “UNC Greensboro is an established nationally recognized program so it is a big win for us. They were missing a couple players today and we were able to take advantage and get a late goal. They are going to have a good season so this is a quality win for us.”
With just 40 seconds remaining in the match, Sloan stepped in front of an attempted clearance by the UNCG defense at the left side of the box and moved back towards the center of the field, shaking two UNCG defenders before unleashing a low shot back across the grain just inside the left post for his third goal of the season.
The win was High Point's second in a row and improves the Panthers' record to 4-5-1 on the season. UNC Greensboro falls to 4-5-0 after the loss. HPU has now played four overtime games this season and is 1-2-1 in those games.
The Spartans controlled the run of play early in the game and in the 13
th minute UNCG earned a corner that Oddur Gudmundsson managed to head inside the near post to take an early 1-0 lead.
High Point quickly settled down following the Spartan goal, but the score remained 1-0 until the 32
nd minute when sophomore
Adam Sewell headed in a goal off a free kick by Sloan to tie the game at 1-1. The Panthers drew a foul just inside the UNCG half and Sloan hit a hard ball into the box. Sewell set up with his back to the goal and flicked the ball on into the net past the frozen UNC Greensboro keeper.
Neither team was able to get on the scoreboard in the second half though both teams had quality chances. The Spartans best chance in the second period came in the 84th minute when Cameron Owens beat Chesler to a ball in the box and put a shot in on the empty net but junior
Todd Ray tracked back and cleared the ball away for the team save.
Less than one minute later junior
Shane Malcolm got behind the UNCG backline and had a one-on-one opportunity with Spartan keeper Peyton Ford but his shot to the right post was stopped by an onrushing Ford to preserve the tie.
After a scoreless first period of extra time, High Point came out pushing for a goal in the final period of play. The Panthers appeared to grab the win two minutes prior to Sloan's goal when a header by
Will Stewart off a corner kick was barely kept out by a sprawling Ford and the follow by Sewell was also stopped right on the line.
High Point finished with a 19-10 edge in shots and put 11 shots on goal to UNC Greensboro's six. Senior netminder
Michael Chesler made four saves in the game to pick up the win.
The Panthers return to Big South action on Saturday, Oct. 8, when they travel to Asheville, N.C. to face UNC Asheville at 2 p.m. High Point is 14-6-1 all-time against the Bulldogs including a 3-0 win at home last season.
Karo Okiomah scored twice and
Fejiro Okiomah scored once in the win.