HPU Women’s Soccer Downs Charleston Souther, 2-0

• High Point picked up a 2-0 win over Charleston Southern on Wednesday to improve to 10-3-4 on the season.
• Sophomores Lindsay Elsen and Michele Micciche both scored for the Panthers on the night.
• Sophomore Alex Persiani set a new HPU Div. I single-season record with her ninth shutout of the season.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women’s soccer team picked up its 10th win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Charleston Southern on Wednesday night at Vert Stadium. Sophomore Alex Persiani set a new HPU Div. I record with her ninth shutout of the season in the win.

The Panthers improved to 10-3-4 overall and 5-2-1 in the Big South with the victory while Charleston Southern dropped to 6-7-2 overall and 3-5-0 in the Big South.

“I thought our play in the first half was very average,” head coach Marty Beall said. “Charleston Southern was the better team in the first half, but thankfully we came out and played a lot better in the second half. We had more energy and passion after halftime and the result showed.”

High Point’s shutout of the Buccaneers was the team’s 11th of the season and its sixth in the past seven games. Sophomore keeper Alex Persiani made one save in the contest to notch her ninth clean sheet of the season, a new HPU Div. I record. The sophomore has now allowed just six goals in 14 games and is ranked in the top 10 in the nation in both goals-against average and shutout percentage.

In a first half in which neither team was able to create many chances, High Point found the first goal when sophomore Lindsay Elsen scored in the 41st minute to put the Panthers ahead. The ball was recycled into the box off a half clearance of an HPU corner and freshman Savannah Stoughton found Elsen just in front of goal for the finish. The goal was the first of the season for Elsen.

The Panthers began to push the play at the start of the second half and doubled their lead in the 69th minute on sophomore Michele Micciche’s fourth goal of the season. The forward latched onto a loose ball just outside the CSU penalty area and dribbled past a defender before curling a shot into the top left corner of goal from 20 yards.

High Point finished the night with a 13-8 edge in shots and a 4-1 advantage in shots on goal. HPU also had a slim 4-3 lead in corner kicks. CSU’s Anna Sells, the second-leading scorer in the Big South, was held without a goal and to just one shot on target in the match.

High Point will next travel to Clinton, S.C., on Saturday, Oct. 24, to take on Presbyterian College in the Panthers’ final road game of the regular season. HPU beat the Blue Hose by a score of 2-1 at home last season thanks to goals from Bailey Beattie and Paige Rombach.