BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The High Point University men's soccer team was crowned Big South Tournament Champions for the second time in three years on Saturday night with a 2-0 shutout at Campbell. With the win, High Point earns an automatic bid into the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Noah Holmes,
Holden Trent,
Finn McRobb, and
Sebastian Chalbaud were named to the All-Tournament Team and Holmes was voted the Tournament MVP after scoring the brace in the Championship game.
Site: Eakes Athletic Complex
Score: High Point 2, Campbell 0
Records: High Point (10-4-5, 5-0-3), Campbell (11-4-5, 6-1-1)
Head coach
Zach Haines: "I'm just so proud of the guys. They stuck together and they kept believing that we could do something special this season. Today and in this whole conference tournament, they were unbelievable. We played at such a high level, we absolutely brought our best, and I don't think they would tell you that they're done either. The belief is so high in this group that they're aim is to go out and win some NCAA Tournament games."
Striking first was a big emphasis for the Panthers and was noticeable in the pace of play and possession in the first 10 minutes of play. Under Haines and staff, High Point is now 34-0-1 in games when the Panthers have been the first to score. The sole tie was this season's 1-1 draw with USC Upstate during the regular season.
The Panthers controlled possession early on in the first half, pressuring the Campbell defense with a few looks early.
High Point struck first in the 11
th minute, as
Kaya Ignacio moved the ball ahead to
Jackson Ruckman who served a cross for
Noah Holmes to capitalize on the header opportunity.
With the 1-0 lead, the HPU defense was able to suffocate the Camel attack as
Holden Trent recorded one save in the half.
Finn McRobb also made several crucial clears to hold the advantage heading into the halftime break.
HPU had a chance early in the second as freshman
Jefferson Amaya took a shot with a free kick just outside the penalty area.
Davis Biggerstaff nearly put a header in the back of the net in the 64
th minute but missed just high.
Holmes sealed the victory for High Point in the 80
th minute as Biggerstaff sent a ball up the field to
Larson Rula and Holmes. Rula's touch on the ball fell to Holmes who sent it to the back of the bottom left corner of the net.
High Point ends Campbell's season after the Panthers and Camels have met in the championship match in three of the last four seasons. This was the final meeting for the Big South Championship as Campbell leaves the conference at the conclusion of the year.
Up Next: High Point awaits the NCAA Tournament selection show, scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Monday afternoon, for tournament seeding and opponent matchup. Follow HPU men's soccer on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (@HPUMSOCCER) or visit
www.HighPointPanthers.com for updates.
#GoHPU
