Site: Boiling Springs, NC (Greene-Harbison Stadium)
Score: High Point 1, Gardner Webb 0 (2 OT)
Records:Â Gardner Webb 4-9-1 (3-2 Big South), HPU 6-6-1 (5-0-1 Big South)
Next HPU Event: Oct. 12—against Radford (Vert Stadium, High Point, NC), 7 p.m.
The High Point University Women's Soccer team beat Gardner Webb 1-0 with Chloe Le Franc's goal in the 109th minute. She was assisted by Juliette Vidal. Le Franc's goal against the Runnin' Bulldogs, was her second of the season and her first game-winning goal of the year. The Panther victory extends their win streak to five.
"I'm really happy for the team tonight, it was a total team effort, it is exciting for our team." Head coach Brandi Fontaine said. "This was a game of fight and grit and it required us to give everything until the end and we gave it, I am really proud the girls that we got this result. Tonight was a pivotal win for us, especially when it comes to boosting our confidence going into the rest of conference play, especially as we approach a tough part ot the conference schedule. I am really, really excited for them they were able to get it done. We just kept believing, we were knocking on the door the entire night and we just kept believing that at some point we would make something happen, I was glad to see that it was Chloe Le Franc, who was the one that made it happen for us."
The contest opened up at an even pace with only one shot and one save recorded in the first twenty minutes. In the latter half of the first 45, the Panthers started to apply significant offensive pressure. In the 25th minute High Point had a quality chance that came on a free-kick just outside of the box, a spectacular save kept Mullins' shot from scoring. Palmer followed the deflection with a shot that was stopped. The Panthers outshot the Runnin' Bulldogs in the first half 8-2.
It was a great start for the defense as Talia Klimes recorded two saves in the first half. Klimes' first half was highlighted by a leaping save in the 22nd minute that stopped the Runnin' Bulldogs' best first-half chance. Reagan eliminated a great chance for Gardner Webb as she stopped a one on one chance and prevented what would have been a golden scoring opportunity in the 38th minute.
Â
Similar to the start of the game, defense was present in the beginning and throughout the second half, with the first shot of the half not coming until Pratt registered one in the 60th minute. Offensive chances would continue to come for High Point, but Gardner-Webb kept making the necessary stops to keep the game tied. The Panthers spent a majority of the night dictating the pace to the Runnin' Bulldogs. High Point outshot Gardner Webb six to three in the second half. High Point had two more chances in the last five minutes of the 2nd half with shots from Shaylyn Owen and Alex Denny.
90 minutes was not enough as the 0-0 tie took the game into overtime. The first overtime period was a stalemate with only one-shot total which was recorded by GWU in the first overtime in the 93rd minute. Â
With the game still tied at 0, the game entered a second overtime period if a goal was not scored in the ten-minute period the game would end in a draw. The Panthers understood the importance pf the situation and showed great urgency. In the second overtime, High Point outshot Gardner-Webb 4-0. The game-clinching goal came in the 109th minute off the foot of Chloe Le Franc, the junior won the game for HPU with 52 seconds left in the game. With the win, the Panthers remain undefeated in Big South play and have won five games in a row.
The Panthers return to Vert Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m. for a Big South Conference contest as they host the Radford Highlanders
#GoHPU
