Nyepon Brace Gives HPU Men’s Soccer 2-1 Win Over Incarnate Word

• Senior Mamadee Nyepon scored two goals in the final 10 minutes
• Juniors Ben Burdon and Austin Yearwood assisted on the Nyepon goals
• Nyepon tied the HPU Div. I career goals record with his two goals on Friday

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Senior Mamadee Nyepon scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to give the High Point University men’s soccer team a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Incarnate Word on Friday night at Vert Stadium.

“I am very happy to get the win tonight,” head coach Dustin Fonder said. “A lot of credit goes to Incarnate Word, they were the aggressor in the first half and they really took us out of our rhythm. In the second half, we played with a lot more enthusiasm and we were able to fight to get two goals back.”

With his brace on Friday, Nyepon moved into a tie for the HPU Div. I career goals record with 33. The forward tied Chris Archer (2003-06) atop the career goals list.

High Point trailed, 1-0, in the 80th minute when junior Ben Burdon got free on the right wing and lofted a cross to the far post. Nyepon muscled his way inside a defender before hammering the ball into the net with a header to knot the score at 1-1.

Two minutes later, Nyepon scored again with a header, connecting on a corner kick by junior Austin Yearwood. HPU picked up the corner on the right side of the field and Yearwood lofted the ball into the box to Nyepon for the go-ahead score.

The Panthers fell behind in the 33rd minute when Incarnate Word’s Alex De La Garza scored on a counter attack to the Cardinals up 1-0. Incarnate Word broke out of the defensive third and Jonathan Camarena controlled the ball in the box and laid it off to De La Garza who hit a first-time shot into the side netting.

Redshirt-junior Kody Palmer earned the win for the Panthers, making three saves to improve to 2-1-1 on the season. Kieran O’Boyle suffered the loss for Incarnate Word, dropping to 0-4-0 on the season.

The Cardinals outshot High Point, 13-6, on the night and put four shots on frame to HPU’s two. The Panthers finished with an 8-4 edge in corners.

High Point returns to Vert Stadium for the second day of the High Point Plaza Classic on Sunday, Sept. 14. The Panthers will take on Western Illinois on Sunday following the conclusion of the game between Radford and Incarnate Word, which will kick off at 12 p.m. The Leathernecks and Highlanders played to a 2-2 draw at Vert Stadium on Friday.