Box Score BOX SCORE

The High Point University men's soccer team tied Gardner-Webb, 0-0, in the Big South Semifinals and fell in penalty kicks, 4-3, to be eliminated from the Big South Tournament on Friday night in Boiling Springs, N.C.

“It is always tough to get beat on penalty kicks, you hate to let it get to that,” head coach Dustin Fonder said. “I thought the boys really played their hearts out and I was so proud of this group. We put a good hard effort out there tonight but Gardner-Webb is a quality hard-working team. I felt like we took the game to them for the entire 110 minutes but unfortunately, in part because of their good defending and in part because of our unlucky finishing, we couldn't find a goal.”

High Point finished with a 22-5 advantage in shots in the game but was unable to find a goal in either regulation or extra time.

In the penalty kicks, High Point struggled early as the Panthers' first shot by sophomore Alex Martinez was saved and their second from senior Karo Okiomah hit off the post. A miss by Jordan Day gave High Point a chance as Shawn Sloan, Adam Sewell and Fejiro Okiomah all connected, but John Sargent and Jovan Ivanovich each scored in their kicks for Gardner-Webb to seal the win.

“It is frustrating to lose like this,” Fonder said. “There is not a happy person in our locker room. There is not a guy that wasn't planning on playing on Sunday. At the end of the day that is what happened. We vowed to each other this is not what will happen in the future. We are going to get it right.”

The draw gives High Point a 9-9-3 record in 2011 while Gardner-Webb moves to 9-7-4. The Runnin' Bulldogs will move on to Play No. 4-seed Liberty in the Big South Championship on Sunday.

High Point controlled the run of play throughout the first half, putting up eight shots with four on goal while not allowing Gardner-Webb a single shot. Karo Okiomah got a great look in the third minute with a shot that GWU keeper Scott Krotee got low and pushed just past the post for a corner.

In the 41st minute freshman Mamadee Nyepon had a great look on a header off a free kick that was saved off the line by a GWU defender. Martinez sent a free kick into the box that was mishandled by Krotee. The ball bounced right to Nyepon who headed it towards the right post where a GWU defender rushed in to clear it off the line.

The Panthers continued to pour on the offensive pressure following the halftime break, outshooting GWU by a 13-3 margin in the second 45 minutes.

HPU's best chance of the half came in the 74th minute when Karo Okiomah ripped a shot from 15-yards out that was again stopped by Krotee. Okiomah split two GWU defenders and got the ball in the box off a quick restart on a free kick. The forward controlled the ball and powered a shot towards the frame, forcing a diving punch save by the GWU keeper.

Neither team was able to find a quality scoring chance in an increasingly physical two periods of extra time forcing the game to penalty kicks.

Karo Okiomah finished the game with seven shots, including four on goal. Martinez chipped in with five shots. Senior Michael Chesler made three saves in his final collegiate game to pick up his fourth shutout of the season and the 20th of his HPU career. Krotee finished with seven saves in the draw for GWU.

The game against Gardner-Webb was the final match for High Point's talented senior class. This season's seniors leave High Point as the program's winningest class in the Division I era. Some of the classes' accomplishments include Chesler finishing as HPU's Division I leader in career wins, shutouts and goals-against average and Karo Okiomah earning HPU's first All-American honor.