HIGH POINT, N.C. — Depth has proven to be a key piece for the 2024 High Point University women's soccer team.

When a player has been limited or unable to play, the next Panther has stepped up and taken ownership. The competition has pushed starters and elevated the level of play amongst the entire squad, which has lifted the Panthers to the most wins since 2021 with eight so far.

The depth and team chemistry has High Point in the Big South Conference Championships for the second straight season as the second-seeded Panthers are set to face third-seeded Radford University on Thursday, November 7 at the Sportsplex in Matthews, N.C., beginning at 7 p.m. for a spot in the title game.

"Top to bottom, this has been the most competitive group during my time here," third-year HPU Head Coach Aaron McGuiness said. "That was the whole aim once we were able to do a full recruiting class. Our players are always wanting more; they always want to compete. And for those players in our starting roles, they know their job is always up for grabs with how competitive our roster is. I think across the board, not just with our goalkeepers, the team has done a really good job at maintaining that level and putting us in the right positions to succeed."

There have been many players step into the spotlight.

From returners like Alex DePerno, who hasn't missed a game in her five-year career while breaking the Big South career leader for the most minutes played this season, and Ella Vaughn, who suffered an injury midseason and battled to get back on the field en route to netting her first-ever hat trick in the regular-season finale, to freshmen like Caroline Dewey, Kari Powell and Sabba Haghgoo.

Dewey stepped into a starting role for Vaughn when she couldn't go, while Powell took charge of a midfield — alongside graduate student Tessa Carlin — that saw rotations throughout the season with constant wear and tear. As a freshman, Haghgoo has led the offensive attack with a team-high six goals and 12 points.

The list could go on and on with players who have stepped up and took hold of an opportunity.

But there's one player in particular who has taken the reins and hasn't let it go: Aubrey McKessy.

"Aubrey didn't start out as our starting goalkeeper," McGuiness said. "But when Maddie [Iro] left to represent her country, she took advantage of that opportunity and has done really well for us. She knew if she got that opportunity, she had to take it and that it was hers to lose just like others on our team."

McKessy was a late add to High Point's 2024 roster. In fact, the graduate keeper almost committed to West Virginia University. The Californian also nearly stayed on the West Coast when Fresno State reached out to her as she was transferring from Division II California State University Monterey Bay.

It helped that McKessy knew former Panther Ellyn Casto, who played in goal for HPU in 2023 and is from California. Casto spoke highly of the program and when McKessy stepped onto High Point's campus, it sealed the deal. She knew her future was on the East Coast.

"When I came for a visit, this was my last visit, I fell in love with the place and fell in love with the people," McKessy said, smiling.

Those reasons were a big factor into the 5-foot-8 goalkeeper selecting High Point, but she also wanted to join a successful culture.

"My main reason of choosing High Point was that I wanted to be a part of a winning team,' McKessy said. "My thought was I could come here and work my butt off, earn the starting spot, and if I didn't get it, I can push the starter and be a part of a winning team and hopefully come out with a championship ring."

McKessy's every day positive attitude and willingness to put the team before her echoed her testament.

In 2022, when she injured her back, McKessy was unsure she would ever play the game she loved again. Eight months later, she returned and started in every match for CSUMB in 2023 alike her freshman season. She left as the career leader in goals against average (0.88) and graduated as the program's best-statistical keeper.

And once the opportunity presented itself to start in goal for the Panthers, McKessy mirrored the efforts across her entire career. Behind a league-leading eight shutouts and goals against average (.873) in 15 starts and an 8-4-3 record, the graduate transfer has made her mark known at High Point.

"Aubrey had an immediate impact coming into our program," HPU Captain Alex DePerno said. "She is so positive and works so hard. You can tell she cares so much and wants the entire team to find success. Playing in front of her has been amazing and I know she is someone I can always trust."

In her first start on August 22 at College of Charleston, McKessy says it was the biggest game she has ever played in and there were nerves.

And even though the result didn't end like she had hoped, it was a game that confirmed her belief within herself and that she was made for this type of challenge.  

"The biggest growth I've seen in Aubrey is the confidence in herself," HPU Goalkeeper Coach Emily McGrath said. "She's very humble and brings a very calming presence back there. Her consistency has helped her keep her role and allowed the team to have confidence in her because she consistently makes the saves that she is supposed to make. She has this insane hunger to grow and learn; she always re-watches film and texts me about it to talk through it.

"She always is doing extra work and desires to be better, even though she has the starting role now. She still doesn't feel comfortable and continues to push herself to be the best version of Aubrey as a goalkeeper as she can be."

As the back-up or the starter, McKessy has approached every practice and game the same since the first day of preseason.

It's that type of consistency which now has earned the graduate keeper, who will come back for her final year of eligibility in 2025, Big South Newcomer of the Year and Second Team All-Conference. She was also a two-time Big South Defensive Player of the Week honoree.

While its rewarding to be recognized, the Cali native knows it wasn't done alone, crediting her current and former goalkeeper coaches Emily McGrath and Cristian Materazzi for their support and teammates for putting her in position, both mentally and physically, to achieve these accolades. 

It's with those around her that have helped her get to this point, and it's with those same people she will head into the postseason with the same ultimate goal in mind.

"It means the world to be given the opportunity to just step on the field with these girls," McKessy said. "I feel like I have the support that has made me believe in myself and the belief really does take you a long way. But, I didn't come here for any individual accolades; I came here for a championship."