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The High Point University women's soccer team suffered a 2-1 loss to Winthrop in Big South action on Wednesday night at Vert Stadium. Junior Jacky Kessler scored HPU's lone goal in the loss.

"I felt that other than two occasions we played very well on the defensive end," head coach Marty Beall said. "Unfortunately Winthrop has a player that can punish you when you make mistakes in the back. Our finishing tonight was atrocious. We created numerous chances, enough to score six or seven goals, but only scored once. It is extremely disappointing to lose this game tonight in the fashion that we did."

High Point generated several early chances and appeared poised to take the first lead of the game in the sixth minute when junior Jacky Kessler hit a shot on an open net after redshirt-freshman Kelsey Perrell beat the WU keeper to a through ball. The shot was cleared off the line at the last second with a header by an Eagle defender to maintain the 0-0 score line.

Winthrop jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute on a goal by Krystyna Freda, the leading scorer in the Big South. Freda shook off a defender at the top right corner of the box and cut across the top of the penalty area before hitting a low shot into the net. The goal broke a 379-minute shutout streak by HPU keeper Jesse May.

The Winthrop lead grew to 2-0 less than two minutes into the second half when Freda split the HPU center backs and ran onto a long ball over the top before beating May one-on-one for her second goal of the game.

High Point got a goal back less than 10 minutes later in the 53rd minute on Kessler's first of the season, making the score 2-1. Kessler received a square ball from senior Kelli Joline and took two touches before hitting a shot into the top right corner from the edge of the penalty area.

The Panthers pressed for an equalizer in the closing minutes, but were unable to breakdown the composed Winthrop defense. Perrell, Kessler, senior Becca Hemby and junior Sarah Sermonet all had shots blocked or saved late in the contest as HPU attempted to send the game to extra time.

High Point finished with s 27-13 advantage in shots on the night with eight shots on frame. Kessler led HPU with both six shots and three shots on goal. May made seven saves in the game for HPU while Winthrop keeper Amelia Henderson stopped seven shots for the Eagles.

The loss snaps a four-game winning streak by the Panthers who drop to 4-6-0 overall and 2-1-0 in the Big South. Winthrop improves to 6-2-1 overall and 2-1-0 in the Big South.

High Point continues Big South play this weekend when the team hosts Coastal Carolina at Vert Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 5 p.m. The game will be the first half of a soccer doubleheader and will be followed by the men's soccer game against CCU.