Women’s Soccer: HPU Panthers Pitch Shutout in Big South Opener, 1-0

• Senior Alex Hank posted her second solo clean sheet of the season, making five stops for her 23rd career shutout
• Senior Michele Micciche became the first Panther to score multiple goals this season, delivering her second goal of the year on a penalty kick in the 15th minute
• HPU is 1-0 in conference play for the second straight year and now travels to preseason favorite Liberty on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

FARMVILLE, Va. – Senior Alex Hank made five saves and senior Michele Micciche notched a penalty kick goal, leading the High Point University women’s soccer team to a 1-0 win over Longwood on Saturday at the Longwood Athletics Complex.

“This was a great win on the road against a very good Longwood team,” head coach Marty Beall said. “I’m very proud of what our girls accomplished this afternoon. Now we need to prepare for another tough conference game on the road at Liberty on Wednesday.”

High Point (4-6-0, 1-0-0) improved to 6-1-2 under Beall in conference openers, winning the first Big South match for the second straight year. The Panthers also continued the trend of winning close contests, as all four victories this season have been by identical 1-0 scores. The victory marked HPU’s first regular season win in Farmville since the Lancers (5-4-1, 0-1-0) joined the conference in 2012.

The lone goal of the match came in the 15th minute with a takedown in the box leading to a foul and a penalty kick for High Point. Micciche stepped up and calmly went low and inside the right post, sliding it untouched past Longwood keeper Maria Kirby. For Micciche, it was her second goal of the year and ninth career marker. The Panthers are now 2-for-3 in penalty kick attempts this season.

The goal quelled an early run from Longwood, who had recorded four of the first five shots in the match. Following the tally, Longwood was held to just two shots in the remaining 30 minutes of the first half.

Hank was tested in the second half, making three saves following the intermission. The senior made a game-saving stop in the 85th minute to keep the game in High Point’s favor. Hank was credited with her second solo clean sheet of the season, in addition to two split shutouts. Her school-record total now sits at 23.

Each team fired off 12 shots with the Panthers holding a slim 7-5 edge in shots on goal. HPU was awarded the only four corner kicks of the match.

High Point remains on the road for its next conference match, Wednesday at Liberty. The match pits the preseason favorite Flames against the reigning regular season champion Panthers. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.