HPU Men’s Soccer Plays Winthrop To A 1-1 Draw

• High Point and Winthrop played to a 1-1 draw at Vert Stadium on Saturday.
• The Panthers outshot Winthrop, 18-12, on the night and put eight shots on target.
• Freshman Johnny Fenwick scored his first collegiate goal for HPU in the draw.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s soccer team played Winthrop to a 1-1 draw at Vert Stadium on Saturday night. The Panthers are the first team to take points off the Eagles in conference play this season.

“I thought we were the better team in the second half and in overtime but that being said I thought Winthrop was clearly better in the first half,” head coach EJ O’Keeffe said. “We were fortunate to find a goal right before halftime. We have to figure out a way to start matches better, especially as we get into late October and November. You can’t take a minute off and expect to get three points out of a match.”

High Point moves to 6-5-4 overall and 2-2-2 in the Big South with the draw while Winthrop drops to 7-5-1 overall and 5-0-1 in conference play.

Winthrop broke the scoreless stalemate in the 22nd minute on a goal by Jordan Stoddart. The Eagle forward drifted away from his marker in the box and headed a cross from Marco Gatzke into the net for the goal.

The score remained 1-0 in favor of Winthrop until the 40th minute when the Panthers tied the game on freshman Johnny Fenwick’s first collegiate goal. Sophomore Ebe Kudolo played a free kick into the box where Fenwick finished from 10 yards to tie the game.

High Point nearly took the lead just two minutes into the second half as junior Chris Ramsell got behind the defense and rounded the keeper before hitting a shot that ran just wide of the near post.

Just three minutes later, freshman Ryeong Choi saved maintained the 1-1 scoreline with a headed clearance on a header by Stoddart. The Eagles earned a corner kick and Stoddart met the ball into the box at the nearpost, redirecting it towards far top corner. Choi jumped up and headed it clear right at the far post to keep the score tied.

The Panthers had the better chances in overtime, nearly finding the game winner in both overtime periods. Fenwick nearly scored his scored goal of the night off a corner in the 100th minute but his headed shot went just wide of the far post. Sophomore Avery Ryan then had a shot to end the game in the 108th minute when he split the central defenders and hit a low line drive that was stopped with a diving save by the Eagle keeper.

HPU finished the night with an 18-12 edge in shots and a 8-5 advantage in shots on goal. Redshirt-senior Kody Palmer made three saves on the night for the Panthers.

High Point will next play host to Campbell on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. The match will be HPU’s first meeting with former Panther head coach and current Campbell head coach Dustin Fonder.