HPU Men’s Soccer Drops 5-2 Decision At South Carolina

Columbia, S.C. – The High Point University men’s soccer team fell on the road to South Carolina by a score of 5-2 on Friday night in Columbia, S.C. Junior Mamadee Nyepon and sophomore Adam Storm each scored for HPU.

“I am extremely disappointed in the performance and mentality of the group tonight,” head coach Dustin Fonder said. ” Whether or not we are short handed or on the road the team needs to show much better resolve in the future.”

High Point took a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute when Storm scored with a glancing header. Sophomore Austin Yearwood delivered a cross into the box for Storm who redirected the ball into the goal for his first score of the season. The assist was the third of the season for Yearwood.

The lead lasted for just 27 seconds as South Carolina hit a cross into the box which caromed off HPU defender Sonny Mukungu and into the net for an own goal, tying the score at 1-1.

The score remained knotted up at 1-1 until the 51st minute when J.P Rafferty received a pass from Kurtis Turner and scored with a shot from the top of the box to put the Gamecocks in front, 2-1.

South Carolina added three more goals in the second half to push ahead by a score of 5-1 with just over 10 minutes left to play. Asa Kryst with a shot to the far post, J.P. Rafferty picked up his second goal of the game on a free kick and Hunter Wyer scored on a header off a free kick to put the Gamecocks in front by a score of 5-1.

HPU got a goal back in the 87th minute when Nyepon was fouled in the box giving the Panthers a penalty kick. The forward stepped to the spot and beat the South Carolina keeper with a shot to the lower left corner for his second goal of the season.

High Point drops to 0-3-0 on the season with the loss while South Carolina improves to 2-1-0.

High Point wraps up its season-opening road swing on Wednesday, Sept. 11, when the team takes on inter-triad rival UNC Greensboro. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m.