HPU mens’ soccer falls at home to George Mason, 1-0

• High Point lost at home to George Mason by a score of 1-0 on Wednesday night.
• The loss was HPU’s first of the season, dropping the team to 5-1-1.
• The Panthers outshot George Mason, 16-5, in the game but managed just three shots on frame.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s soccer team dropped its first game of the season with a 1-0 loss to George Mason at Vert Stadium on Wednesday night. The Panthers outshot GMU by a margin of 16-5 but could not find a goal in the loss.

“The boys played well tonight,” head coach EJ O’Keeffe said. “They answered everything we asked them to do, unfortunately that is the game of soccer sometimes. You don’t always get rewarded for your effort. While we are gutted, we will let this burn tonight and come back tomorrow ready to go. The conference season starts Saturday and we got to look to go down to Presbyterian and get three points.”

High Point falls to 5-1-1 overall with the loss while George Mason improves to 2-4-1 for the season.

Despite an 11-1 edge in shots for the Panthers in the first half, it was George Mason that took the first lead of the game with a goal off a counter attack by Tunde Akinlosotu in the 47th minute. The Patriots got to the end line on the right side and whipped a cross back to the penalty spot to Akinlosotu.

High Point continued to press for a goal in the second half but were denied by a compact George Mason defense that often had nine or 10 men in the box. Redshirt-freshman Bana Ganidekam led HPU in shots with five, including two on frame.

George Mason was held to just two shots on target in the contest and redshirt-freshman Keegan Meyer had one save in the contest, dropping to 4-1-1 for the season.

High Point opens conference play on the road at Presbyterian College on Saturday, Sept. 24, in Clinton, S.C. Kickoff for the game is set for 2 p.m.