HPU women’s soccer loses at No. 13 Clemson, 4-1

• High Point lost on the road at No. 13 Clemson on Friday afternoon in Clemson, S.C.
• Junior Becca Rolfe scored her first goal of the season for the Panthers in the loss.
• HPU was even in shots with Clemson in the second half, 7-7.

CLEMSON, S.C. – The High Point University women’s soccer team went on the road and fell at No. 13 Clemson by a score of 4-1 on Friday afternoon in Clemson, S.C. Junior Becca Rolfe scored the lone goal for HPU.

“I am proud of the fight this team showed in the second half,” head coach Marty Beall said. ” We went toe-to-toe with one of the top 15 teams in the country in the second half. I am definitely disappointed in the set piece goals we gave up today but it is something we can learn from and get better. The team spirit we have is amazing, these girls are focused on learning, getting better and working towards our ultimate goal.”

The Panthers drop back to .500 on the season at 3-3-1 overall with the loss. Clemson improves to 4-2-0.

High Point fell behind in the 12th minute on a header by Emily Byorth. The Tigers earned a corner kick and Shannon Horgan delivered the ball to the far post to Byorth who headed it into the top corner for the 1-0 lead.

The Tigers doubled their lead on a penalty kick goal by Catrina Atanda in the 33rd minute. Clemson was awarded the spot kick when HPU keeper Alex Hank fouled Miranda Weslake on a breakaway. Atanda sent her shot to the left just sneaking it under the diving Hank.

A third Clemson goal just before the half sent the Panthers into the locker room down 3-0. Atanda recorded her second goal of the half in the 38th minute by chipping a shot over Hank after dispossessing Kai-Lin Hernandez in the box.

The Panthers came out pressing in the second half and were rewarded in the 58th minute when Rolfe scored her first goal of the season to pull HPU within two at 3-1. Redshirt-junior Bailey Beattie took a shot at the edge of the box that was blocked and the rebound fell to the feet of Rolfe who looped a shot into the top left corner for the score.

Clemson pushed the lead back up to three at 4-1 with a free kick goal by Claire Wagner in the 70th minute. The Tigers earned a free kick in the center of the field 25 yards from goal and Wagner curled her shot around the HPU wall and into the net.

The Panthers were outshot in the game by a margin of 19-10 but finished the second half even with Clemson at seven shots apiece. HPU managed two shots on target compared to eight for the Tigers. Hank made three saves in the contest for the Panthers.

High Point next heads to Durham, N.C., to take on the sixth-ranked Duke Blue Devils on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 6 p.m. The game will be the Panthers’ fifth-straight on the road and the fourth-straight against a Power 5 opponent.