HPU Women’s Soccer Loses On The Road At No. 25 Auburn, 4-1

AUBURN, Ala. – The High Point University women’s soccer team fell to No. 25 Auburn University, the defending SEC champions, by a score of 4-1 on Sunday afternoon in Auburn, Ala. Junior Becca Hemby scored her second goal in as many games for the Panthers.

“I was proud of the fight that the girls showed today against a very good opponent,” head coach Marty Beall said. “I don’t feel that the statistics really tell the full story of the game. We had some great moments of brilliance and caused them problems in their half. Auburn is a very good team with SEC athletes and they played well today. Overall I feel we definitely took steps forward as a program and learned a lot about what we are capable of doing.”

Auburn scored twice in each half to take a 4-0 lead in the contest. The Tiger’s Tori Ball scored twice in the opening 10 minutes of the game while Mary Coffed and Alexa Allen each scored in the second half.

High Point outshot Auburn, 5-3, in the final 20 minutes of the game and in the 75th minute Hemby scored her second goal of the season to make the score 4-1. Hemby brought down a pass from sophomore defender Alise LeCompte off a free kick and rifled a shot to the left post for the Panthers’ first score. Sophomore Jacky Kessler had a shot saved and another hit off the crossbar and senior Danielle Schepler forced a late save in the closing minutes for HPU.

Junior goalkeeper Jesse May recorded double-digit saves for a second-straight game, stopping 11 of the Tigers’ shots in the game.

The Panthers will next return home for their first game of 2012 at Vert Track, Soccer and Lacrosse Stadium next Friday, Aug. 24, when they play host to Tennessee Tech at 7 p.m. HPU is 1-1-0 in two meetings with Tennessee Tech since joining Div. I.