HPU Women’s Soccer And Vanderbilt Play To 1-1 Draw In Nashville

• High Point and Vanderbilt played to a 1-1 draw in Nashville.
• The draw was HPU’s second of the season against an SEC opponent.
• Sophomore Michele Micciche scored her third goal of the season to tie the game for the Panthers.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The High Point University women’s soccer team played Vanderbilt to a 1-1 draw on Sunday afternoon in Nashville, Tenn. The draw was HPU’s second of the season against an SEC opponent.

“I am very proud of this team for their hard work against a very good Vanderbilt team on the road,” head coach Marty Beall said. “Getting a draw here is not an easy thing to do. I thought our possession was really good. We also did a great job defending Charley Simone and limiting her chances. We forced Vanderbilt to play very direct which made it easier to stay organized and defend.”

High Point moves to 4-1-3 overall on the season with the draw while Vanderbilt’s record in 2015 is now 4-3-1.

Vanderbilt took a 1-0 lead early in the contest with a goal by Lydia Simmons in the ninth minute of action. Simmons took a corner kick and curved it into the net off the fingertips of sophomore Alex Persiani for the lead.

The Panthers responded in the 32nd minute when sophomore Michele Micciche notched her third goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1. Micciche finished from just in front of goal after redshirt-sophomore Bailey Beattie headed the ball down to her feet off a corner.

Both teams created chances throughout the second half and both overtime periods, but neither was able to find a game-winning goal. Persiani made a career-high nine saves for the Panthers to help High Point earn the draw.

The Panthers were outshot 21-7 in the game with the Commodores putting 10 shots on target compared to one for HPU.

High Point wraps up its non-conference slate with a home game against USC Upstate on Thursday, Sept. 17. Kickoff in the game is set for 7 p.m. A win over the Spartans would match HPU’s single-season record for most wins over non-conference opponents.