HPU Women’s Soccer Advances Past Winthrop With A 1-0 Win In The Big South Quarterfinals

• Freshman Lindsay Elsen scored the game-winner in the 37th minute with a header off a corner kick.
• Freshmen Alex Persiani and Jordan Beets combined for their seventh shutout of the season.
• HPU advances to the Big South Semifinals in Greensboro, North Carolina and will face the winner of the game between Coastal Carolina and UNC Asheville.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The third-seeded High Point University women’s soccer team picked up a 1-0 win over No. 6-seed Winthrop at Vert Stadium in the Big South Quarterfinals on Sunday afternoon. Freshman Lindsay Elsen scored the game-winner for HPU.

“I am happy that the team was able to survive Winthrop’s pressure and earn the win today,” head coach Marty Beall said. “The girls showed tremendous fight throughout the entire game. We started a little slow today and gave up couple early chances, but we didn’t fold and got a great goal off a set piece.”

High Point got on the board with a goal by Elsen in the 37th minute to put HPU ahead, 1-0. The Panthers earned a corner kick and freshman Taylor Romano delivered the ball into the box. Elsen out jumped her marker at the top of the six-yard box and connected with head, directing her effort just under the crossbar for her first collegiate goal.

The Panthers limited Winthrop’s chances, holding the Eagles to just seven shots in the game with four on goal. High Point finished with 12 shots and four on goal in the match.

Freshmen Alex Persiani and Jordan Beets combined to record their seventh shutout of the season. Persiani made one save in the first and improved to 6-1-1 on the season and Beets made two saves in the second half. Amelia Henderson drops to 5-7-1 on the season after taking the loss in a game in which she made three saves.

High Point improves to 11-4-3 on the season with the win over Winthrop, the Panthers’ sixth win in a row. With the win, HPU ties the program’s Div. I record for wins in a season. High Point also won 11 games in 2004 and 2010. The program’s all-time record for wins in a season is 12, which was done in 1993 and 1995.

The Panthers advance to the Big South Semifinals where they will play the winner of the game between No. 2-seed Coastal Carolina and No. 7-seed UNC Asheville. The semifinals and championship game will be held at Bryan Park in Greensboro, North Carolina. High Point will play in the second semifinal game on Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.