• Redshirt-freshman Ben Hietala scored in the 86th minute to give High Point a 1-0 win on Wednesday night at Vert Stadium.
• The win was the Panthers’ third-straight with all three seeing the game-winner scored in the final seven minutes.
• Redshirt-freshman Keegan Meyer earned his first collegiate shutout on the night.
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s soccer left it late but walked away with a 1-0 win over Marshall on Wednesday night at Vert Stadium. Redshirt-freshman Ben Hietala scored the game winner in the 85th minute to seal three points for the Panthers.
“The boys did really well tonight,” head coach EJ O’Keeffe said. “We were up for this game. Marshall played a lower block and tested our patience but I thought we dominated the ball and were able to find a goal late. I always felt like it was going to come tonight, it just happened to happen in the final 10 minutes. Ben Hietala has been working his tail off and it was a fantastic goal. It couldn’t have happened to a better individual.”
With the clock winding down and the score still knotted at 0-0, freshman Siggi Benonysson found a pocket of space on the right flank and whipped a cross to the far post where Hietala leaped over the Herd defender and headed the ball past the diving keeper.
The goal culminated a half in which the Panthers outshot Marshall by a 11-1 margin and put eight shot on goal. Senior Chris Ramsell had four shots, including two on goal, while freshman Bana Ganidekam had three attempts on the night.
High Point defense limited the Thundering Herd to just four shots in the game and just one on goal. Redshirt-freshman Keegan Meyer made one save to earn his first collegiate shutout and his fourth win of the season.
The Panthers remain undefeated on the season, improving to 4-0-1 through five games. HPU has won three-straight contests, scoring the game winner in the final seven minutes of each game. Marshall drops to .500 on the season at 3-3-0 with the loss.
High Point hits the road this weekend to take on the Spartans of USC Upstate on Saturday, Sept. 17 in Spartanburg, S.C. Kickoff in the game is set for 7 p.m.