HPU Women’s Soccer Falls On The Road To Coastal Carolina, 1-0

CONWAY, S.C. – The High Point University women’s soccer team dropped its first Big South match of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling on the road at Coastal Carolina by a score of 1-0. HPU remains atop the conference with a 7-1-2 mark in Big South games.

“Unfortunately Coastal Carolina’s aggressiveness and physical play got us out of our rhythm today,” head coach Marty Beall said. “That is something we can learn from and improve on. We are still in a great position in the conference and have a lot to play for. We have to take what we can from this game and get ready for Campbell on Tuesday.”

The lone score of the game came in the 30th minute when Christina Stern found space at the top-right corner of the box and het a bending cross to the far post. The ball looked to be going wide of frame but at the last second CCU’s Kacey Kelley dove in with a low header to pick up the score.

The High Point defense and keepers Ivy Cocklereece and Jesse May did well to limit the Chanticleers the rest of the way as Cocklereece finished with three saves and May finished with four.

HPU struggled to create many chances on the afternoon against a physical CCU defense, putting up eight shots in the game with two on frame. Senior Janay Whittaker had the best scoring chance of the afternoon for High Point with a hard shot that forced a diving save by Coastal’s Megan Spencer.

High Point drops to 8-5-6 overall and 7-1-2 in the Big South with the loss which ends an undefeated streak of nine-straight games for the Panthers. HPU’s last loss had come on Sept. 16 at West Virginia. The win was Coastal’s fifth-straight and it improves the Chanticleers record to 10-7-0 overall and 7-3-0 in the Big South.

High Point wraps up the 2012 regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 23, with a road game against Campbell at 7 p.m. The Panthers can clinch the Big South Regular Season Championship with a win over the Camels and a Radford loss or tie in either of its final two games. HPU is 0-4-1 all-time against Campbell including a 0-0 tie at Vert Stadium last season.