HIGH POINT, N.C. – No. 14 High Point University and VCU played to a draw on Wednesday night at Vert Stadium, 1-1.
Prosper Adagani scored his first goal of the season in the 85th minute.
Site: Vert Stadium
Score: #14 High Point 1, VCU 1
Records: High Point (2-1-1), VCU (0-2-2)
Head Coach Zach Haines: "It wasn't good enough from us. It's game seven, including preseason, and that's the first time that I feel like that wasn't us. That wasn't what we're capable of. We wasted the first half and then in the second half, we made a lot of good changes to the way we were playing, and we just about got over the line. It was just not enough personality, not enough leadership, not enough grit, so we'll have to dig in and make sure that that changes before Monday."
It was an extremely quiet opening half for the Panthers as both sides went into the halftime break scoreless. The Panthers registered one shot and two corner kicks, while VCU recorded two shots and five corner kicks after 45 minutes of play.
Lucas Kelly tallied the Panthers' sole shot in the first half.
As 30 minutes passed into the second half, the Panthers began to pick up their intensity as the game clock wound down. HPU saw its best opportunity to that point in the 77th minute. An
Enzo Rekka corner kick landed directly in the middle of the box, finding the head of
Aidan Morrison, but the attempt sailed high over the net.
The pressure continued from the Panthers, and it was Morrison again with a great chance to net the game's first score.
Noah Behrmann placed a cross into the box toward the far post, where Morrison got a foot on it, but his attempt missed just wide of the left post.
The Panthers finally broke through in the 85th minute when Adagani ended the drought by kicking in his first goal of the season. HPU pushed upfield with
Noah Behrmann leading the attack before sending a through ball toward Morrison. Morrison took a single touch, crossing the ball inside the goal box and directly to the right foot of Adagani, who finished to give HPU the 1-0 advantage. It is the second consecutive year Adagani has netted a score against VCU.
Three minutes later, VCU responded with an equalizer in the 88th minute to end the match in a 1-1 draw.
HPU finished with nine shots, including one on goal, and four corner kicks. VCU recorded six shots, one on goal and five corner kicks.
Up Next:
The Panthers begin a three-game road trip, beginning with when they travel to Columbia to take on No. 13 South Carolina on September 7 at 7 p.m.
#GoHPU
