LIVE STATSLIVE VIDEOHIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women's soccer team begins its Big South title defense on Friday, Aug. 21, when it hosts Georgia at Vert Stadium. The Panthers are attempting to repeat for the second time in program history in 2015.
High Point set a new HPU Div. I record with 12 wins in 2014, going 12-5-4 and 7-2-1 in the Big South. The Panthers tied for second in the conference but entered the Big South tournament as the No. 3 seed. After wins over Winthrop and Coastal Carolina to reach the title game, High Point upset top-seed Liberty in penalty kicks to claim its fifth conference title, tying Radford for the most championships in Big South history.
Four different High Point players received All-Big South honors last season as
Jenny Marshall and
Alise LeCompte were named to the first team while
Becca Rolfe and
Kelsey Perrell received second-team honors. Marshall, Rolfe and Perrell all return for the Panthers in 2015. In all, nine starters and 24 letter winners return from High Point's championship team.
HPU fell on the road at the College of Charleston by a score of 2-1 in the team's only exhibition game of the preseason. The Panthers fell behind 1-0 at the half before sophomore
Michele Micciche leveled the game with a tally in the 49th minute off a pass from junior
Meg Kowalski. A goal by the Cougars against the run of play in the 77th minute brought the final score to 2-1 on the night.
Georgia finished with a 10-8-2 record in 2014, including a 5-5-1 mark in the SEC, and lost to UCF in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs will be under the guidance of new head coach Billy Lesesne in 2015 as the former Duke Associate Head Coach takes the reigns from former head coach Steve Holeman.
UGA returns seven starters and 26 letter winners in 2015. All-SEC selections Marion Crowder and Kelsey Killean return up top and will be counted on to spearhead the Bulldog attack. Crowder finished 2014 with 14 points on six goals and two assists while Killean had 11 points on three goals and five assists. Louise Hogrell is back between the pipes after posting a 1.17 goals-against average with 72 saves in her freshman season.
Georgia claimed a 4-0 win over Furman in its only exhibition contest thanks to goals by Killean, Lauren Tanner, Andie Fontanetta and Clara Gastaldi.
Friday will mark the first-ever meeting between High Point and Georgia. The Panthers are 0-2-0 all-time against teams from the SEC with losses to Auburn and South Carolina.
#GoHPU
