HPU Men’s Soccer Rolls To A 4-1 Win At Gardner-Webb

• High Point earned three road points with a 4-1 win at Gardner-Webb on Saturday.
• Sophomore Avery Ryan scored two goals and had an assist for the Panthers.
• HPU moves up to fourth in the Big South with the win.

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The High Point University men’s soccer team picked up a huge late-season win with a 4-1 victory over Gardner-Webb on Saturday night in Boiling Springs, N.C. The win moved the Panthers up to fourth in the Big South standings with one game remaining.

“This was a great team win tonight,” head coach EJ O’Keeffe said. “We were tight defensively and looked dynamic in the attack. We need to build on this game going into Wednesday as we look to send our seniors out the right way against Coastal Carolina.”

High Point improves to 7-6-4 overall and 3-3-2 in the Big South with Saturday’s win. The Runnin’ Bulldogs fall to 4-12-0 and 3-5-0 in conference play.

The Panthers got on the board just before the half on a goal by junior Chris Ramsell in the 44th minute, his third of the season. Ramsell rounded the right back and hit a low shot from a tough angle about 15 yards from goal to beat the keeper and put HPU up a goal.

After Gardner-Webb leveled the score at 1-1 with a goal by Arjun Jung, Ryan put HPU back in front with his sixth goal of the season in the 63rd minute. The forward was played in behind the defense on a through ball by Ramsell and scored with a low shot past the GWU keeper.

Redshirt-junior Pat Shelton added to the HPU lead less than four minutes later with a goal off a rebound on a shot by junior Renato Punyed to put the Panthers up by a 3-1 margin and Ryan added his second goal of the game in the 85th minute, dribbling around the keeper and tapping the ball in after getting a through ball from redshirt-senior Cameron Foster.

The Panthers controlled play for much of the game and finished the night with a 26-11 advantage in shots and a 14-3 edge in shots on goal. Redshirt-senior Kody Palmer made two saves on the night to pick up his seventh win of the season.

High Point returns home on Wednesday, Nov. 4 when they will host nationally ranked Coastal Carolina at Vert Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The game will be HPU’s Senior Day and the team will honor its six seniors before the match.