HPU Men’s Soccer Drops 1-0 Decision at Elon

• High Point fell to Elon, 1-0, on a 65th-minute goal by James Brace
• The Panthers outshot the Phoenix, 6-5, in the game.
• Junior Ben Burdon had a team-high three shots with one on goal in the loss.

ELON, N.C. – The High Point University men’s soccer team fell to Elon by a score of 1-0 on Tuesday night in Elon, N.C. Junior Ben Burdon led HPU with three shots, including the Panthers’ only shot on frame.

“This was a hard-fought game between two evenly matched teams,” head coach Dustin Fonder said. “It looked like the only way a team was going to score was from a mistake or a set piece and unfortunately we let them break out and get a quality goal on a transition chance. I thought we played really well for large chunks of time so with our squad being so young we need to take this as a learning experience.”

Neither team could create much offense in the first half as the two sides combined for just three shots in the opening 45 minutes. HPU keeper David Price kept the Phoenix off the board in the fifth minute with a save off the crossbar. Elon earned a free kick in the offensive third and James Brace headed the ball towards frame but Price came off the line to deflect the effort off the crossbar.

Elon took a one-goal lead in the 65th minute with a goal by James Brace to put the Phoenix up 1-0. Caue Da Silva ran onto a through ball on the right flank and delivered an arching cross to the far post where Brace scored on his first touch.

HPU nearly tied the game just one-minute later when a mistake in the box gave Burdon an open shot in the box. Elon keeper Nathan Dean slipped while trying to clear a ball and sent it right to Burdon whose shot curled just outside the post.

Ten minutes after the Burdon shot High Point again had a chance to tie the game with a free kick at the top of the box. Sophomore Renato Punyed drew the foul for the free kick and freshman Ebe Kudolo hit a hard shot that buzzed just over the bar.

High Point finished the contest with a 6-5 edge in shots while Elon had slim 3-2 advantage in corners. The game was physical throughout with 43 fouls and five yellow cards given out to the two teams.

Price made one save in the match while taking his first collegiate loss, dropping to 1-1-0 on the season. Dean picked up his fifth shutout of the season to improve to 4-3-2 on the season.

The Panthers drop to 3-4-1 overall this season while Elon improves to 4-3-2.

High Point returns to conference play on Friday, Oct. 3, when the team heads to Clinton, South Carolina to face Presbyterian College. Kickoff for the game is set for 7 p.m.