High Point Men’s Soccer Takes Overtime Loss At Liberty

LYNCHBURG, Va. — The High Point University men’s soccer team went on the road to take Liberty to overtime, succumbing in a 2-1 loss on Wednesday in Lynchburg, Va. Senior midfielder Adam Sewell scored the Panthers’ goal in the first half.

“We didn’t start off particularly well but, as the game wore on, I thought we started to play our brand of soccer,” said HPU head coach Dustin Fonder. “Unfortunately we didn’t get the result we wanted. Liberty is a good team and maybe we’ll get the opportunity to play them again in the tournament.

“I told our group after the game, we’re in a rough stretch, things haven’t been going our way but we’ve got better days ahead. We’ve just got to get ready for the final two games of the regular season and we’re anticipating coming alive in the tournament.”

With the loss, High Point moved to 11-3-2 and 4-2-2 in the Big South Conference while Liberty improved to 7-6-1 overall and 5-1-1 in league play.

The game started fast with two Panther corners in just over two minutes and a goal by each team before the 11-minute mark. The Flames struck first when Kyle Breitmeyer scored on an assist by Johnny Torres. Breitmeyer beat High Point goalie Kody Palmer on his right side to give Liberty the lead 9:30 into the game.

The Panthers responded less than a minute later with Sewell’s third goal of the season. He received a right-to-left pass from senior Shane Malcolm and put in in the lower right side of the net to make it 1-1 at the 10:27 mark.

High Point had more scoring chances in the second half but the Panthers couldn’t find the back of the net. HPU outshot Liberty, 9-5, in the frame while Palmer and Flames goalie Scott Sutarik each made a pair of saves to send the game into overtime.

The Flames’ Sam Duininck scored the game-winner just 2:55 into the extra period. Uriah Bentick served a free kick from 20 yards out and Duininck headed it into the net to lift the Flames to victory. It was Duininck’s third goal of the season.

High Point outshot Liberty, 14-10, in the game. Palmer totaled two saves while Sutarik made three.

High Point finishes the regular season with a pair of Big South games on the road. The Panthers play Presbyterian in Clinton, S.C., on Saturday and finish at Coastal Carolina next Friday in Conway, S.C. Both games begin at 7 p.m.