HPU Men’s Soccer Shuts Down UNC Asheville In 3-0 Win

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University Men’s Soccer team held UNC Asheville to just one shot on its way to a 3-0 win against the Bulldogs on Saturday night at Vert Stadium. Sophomore Leon Carby had a goal and an assist to help lead HPU to the win.

“I was pleased with our performance here tonight. Asheville is a very well-coached team and I knew with a week to prepare they were going to come in here with a very good game plan. I thought we handled it and conducted ourselves well. We were able to find a pretty convincing win with three goals while holding them to just one shot over 90 minutes.”

HPU improves to a perfect 8-0-0 overall on the season and 2-0-0 in the Big South. High Point joins Marquette, Cornell and UC Riverside as the only four teams in the nation that have yet to drop a point in a game this season. UNC Asheville falls to 1-7-0 overall and 0-2-0 in the Big South with the loss.

High Point started the game strong possessing the ball early in the offensive third. The Panthers’ possession led to a corner in the third minute which senior Shawn Sloan took from the left side. The midfielder sent a bending ball to the far post where sophomore Mamadee Nyepon got position on two defenders and headed it into the net. The goal was Nyepon’s team-best eighth of the season.

Despite continuing to control play throughout the first half HPU was unable to add to its lead until the 38th minute when sophomore Leon Carby scored his third goal of the season to push the Panther lead to 2-0. Carby received the ball on a pass from senior Kendall Lawson on the left side of the field just outside the 18.He then dribbled across the box, beating two defenders, before firing a shot just inside the right post past the diving keeper.

HPU continued to extend its lead in the 64th minute when senior Shane Malcolm got behind the Asheville backline and beat the keeper for his fourth goal of the season. Carby set Malcolm free behind the defense with a through ball up the left side of the field. Malcolm ran onto the ball before beating the keeper with a bending shot into the right side netting from 15-yards out.

High Point’s possession throughout game allowed the Panthers to severely limit UNC Asheville’s offensive opportunities. HPU finished the game with a 23-1 advantage in shots including a 7-0 edge in shots on goal. High Point also finished with nine corner kicks while holding Asheville to none. Sloan and Nyepon led HPU on the night with four shots apiece.

Redshirt-freshman keeper Kody Palmer was untested in the contest on his way to his second-straight shutout and his fifth on the year. Palmer now has a 0.52 goals-against average for the season.

The Panthers continue their current six-game home stand on Tuesday, Sept. 25, when they welcome William & Mary to Vert Stadium. High Point is 0-2-0 all-time against the Tribe. The two teams last met in 2010 when then-No. 23 ranked William & Mary picked up a 2-1 win at home.