HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men's soccer team opened Big South Conference play with a 2-1 victory over Gardner-Webb at Vert Stadium Saturday night, marking the Panthers' second consecutive win.
The score was 1-1 until the 79th minute, when
Aidan Morrison crossed the ball into the goal box to where only
Alfred Baafi was able to knock in the game-winning goal, giving the Panthers their second straight win over the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Site: Vert Stadium
Score: High Point 2, Gardner-Webb 1
Records: High Point (4-3-1, 1-0-0), Gardner-Webb (1-3-1, 0-1-0)
Head Coach Zach Haines: "You just have to get the job done in conference and there's always games like this, maybe not ideal in terms of the performance or how things play out in terms of the scoreline. But the fact of the matter is, we did enough to deserve the win and three points in conference is huge, especially in game one, to get started off on the right foot."
HPU had its first opportunity at goal early on in the fifth minute. The Panthers charged up field with Morrison sending a cross into the goal box to
Prosper Adagani, who sent a strike at goal, but the goalkeeper got his hands on the ball for the save.
Adagani avenged the missed opportunity with his team-leading fourth goal of the season and second consecutive game with a goal in the ninth minute.
Roman Holt sent a blast downfield to
Alfred Baafi, who beautifully set up Adagani to one-touch the ball past the goalie and into the back of the net for the 1-0 advantage.
"He [Adagani] has just come so far with his overall game," Haines said, "and that is now leading to more chances and more goals. I mean, he's always been a clinical finisher, but now he's getting into more spots, and he's just more dangerous in general."
Josh Caron came up with an incredible diving save in the 11th minute to prevent an equalizer and keep the Runnin' Bulldogs scoreless.
It was a quiet back-and-forth action until the final two minutes of the first half. HPU had two great chances at a second score in the 44th minute.
Nick Sarantakos and
Josh Nwokeji both took strikes at goal, with the goalkeeper saving both attempts. On the other side of the field, Gardner-Webb tied the score in the 44th minute with a goal, sending the two sides into halftime tied at 1-1.
The Panthers totaled seven shots, four attempts on target and one corner kick, compared to Gardner-Webb's seven shots, three on goal and zero corner kicks after 45 minutes of action.
There was hardly any action for the opening nearly 35 minutes of the second half. It wasn't until the 80th minute that HPU took a 2-1 advantage after Baafi netted his second goal of the season. Again, it was Morrison who set up the score after crossing the ball from the far post directly to the foot of Baafi for the goal.
The assist was Morrison's second of the game. For Baafi, the score was his first since the season opener against LIU.
"Aidan [Morrison] has been maybe, you could argue, our most important player," Haines said. "He doesn't maybe show up on the state sheet as much as some others, but he plays everywhere for us, and he plays 90 minutes, and he's incredible with and without the ball. He's so influential and impactful and has been in every game. I'm thrilled for him."
HPU was able to stay strong in the final 40 seconds, holding Gardner-Webb without an equalizer, despite a Runnin' Bulldogs corner kick opportunity in the final seconds as the Panthers extended its win streak to two games with the 2-1 victory.
The Panthers finished with nine shots, five shots on goal and three corner kicks. Caron recorded two saves and 16 shots faced.
Up Next:
The Panthers kick off against Guilford College at Vert Stadium on Friday, September 25, at 7 p.m. for HPU's Family Weekend game as HPU looks to extend its win streak to three games.
#GoHPU
