Last Minute Goal Gives HPU Women’s Soccer a 4-3 Win Over North Florida

• High Point trailed 2-0 at halftime before outscoring UNF, 4-1, in the second half.
• Freshman Paige Lloyd scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute.
• The win by the Panthers was their first in a season opener since 2010.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A goal by freshman Paige Lloyd with just 22 seconds to play gave the High Point University women’s soccer team a 4-3 win over North Florida on Friday night in Jacksonville, Florida. The Panthers scored four second-half goals in the come-from-behind win.

“I am very proud of this team,” head coach Marty Beall said. “They showed great resilience, fighting back after falling behind early. I think they way we played in the second half shows what we are capable of. To come back twice in one game is something we can build on as we move forward with this young team.”

High Point and North Florida were knotted at 3-3 in the final minute of play when Lloyd pounced on a loose ball off a shot by freshman Taylor Romano and scored with a shot into the left side netting to give HPU its only lead of the night.

North Florida came out energized in its home opener and jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first half. Kayla Gray put the Ospreys in front with a goal in the fifth minute off a pass by Jill Holdsworth, running onto a long pass and scoring with a defelcted shot into the lower left corner. Sarah Wasser then doubled UNF’s lead in the 21st minute with a low bouncing shot from outside the box that hit off the right post and into the goal.

Senior Jacky Kessler got High Point on the board in the opening minute of the first half when she jumped on a loose ball in the box and drilled the ball past the Osprey keeper to make the score 2-1.

The Panthers continued to pressure North Florida and in the 60th minute found the equalizer off the foot of redshirt-sophomore Kelsey Perrell, last season’s leading scorer. The defender settled the ball at the edge of the penalty area and ripped a shot into the top right corner to tie the game at 2-2.

After North Florida retook the lead in the 72nd minute with a goal by Kayla Aritt, High Point came right back and tied the game at 3-3 in the 83rd minute on redshirt-freshman Taylor Thompson‘s first collegiate goal. The midfielder received a pass from Perrell in the box and scored with a shot from the left side into the lower right corner.

High Point and North Florida each put up 11 shots in the game with the Panthers holding a slim 7-6 edge in shots on goal. Freshman Jordan Beets took over in goal in the second half and earned her first collegiate win. Beets made one save in her 45 minutes of work.

The win by High Point was the Panthers first in a season opener since 2010 when HPU picked up a 1-0 win over Francis Marion at home.

The Panthers will continue their opening weekend road trip with a game against Jacksonville University on Sunday, Aug. 24, at 2 p.m., in Jacksonville, Florida.