HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men's soccer team completed a historic third-consecutive season unbeaten in Big South regular season play with a 3-0 win over Longwood. The Panthers are the only team in the conference to finish as regular season champions or runners-up for the last six-straight seasons.
Site: Vert Stadium
Score: High Point 3, Longwood 0
Records: High Point (8-4-5, 5-0-3), Longwood (2-10-5, 0-6-2)
Head coach
Zach Haines: "It's kind of a bittersweet feeling tonight, obviously pleased with result and the performance overall. It could have been better in some areas, but any time you can score three and keep a clean sheet, you're obviously pleased with the outcome. But I know our guys are feeling it a little bit. We've gone undefeated three years in a row in conference and this result tonight marked another undefeated season in conference, but we just fell one point short of the regular season title while we're the only conference regular season unbeaten team. So they're feeling that a little bit right now, it stings, but I think that's just going to motivate them more, hopefully to go get a conference tournament championship."
The Panthers wasted no time on offense, as
Sebastian Chalbaud scored from
Cooper Lindfelt in the seventh minute on HPU's second shot attempt.
High Point tallied two more shots, one each from
Larson Rula and
Finn McRobb over the next several minutes, but it was freshman
Jefferson Amaya who found the goal after controlling a clearance from the Lancer goalie and firing a shot from beyond the 18.
The HPU defense allowed no shots from Longwood through 63 minutes, until the Panther back line turned the ball over and allowed the Lancers a one-on-one opportunity with
Holden Trent, who ended up making the save to keep the clean sheet.
HPU allowed just two other shots on the night while Trent finished with two saves.
In the 89
th minute, the Panthers drew a free kick from a foul. Amaya took the shot from the set piece and placed the ball cleanly into the upper right corner of the goal to seal the 3-0 victory for High Point.
Up Next: With the win, High Point secures the No. 2 seed in the Big South Tournament and will host the semifinal match against No. 3 USC Upstate on Saturday, November 6
th. Campbell earned the No. 1 seed and will host No. 4 Presbyterian on the other side of the bracket. Kickoff for both matches is set for 6:00 p.m.
#GoHPU
