Kessler Lifts HPU Women’s Soccer to a 3-0 Win Over Elon

• High Point remained undefeated with a 3-0 win over inter-Triad rival Elon.
• Senior Jacky Kessler scored two goals in the win for HPU.
• The win by the Panthers was their first over Elon since 2004.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Senior Jacky Kessler scored two goals to lead the High Point University women’s soccer team to a 3-0 win over Elon on Friday night at Vert Stadium. The win was HPU’s first over Elon since 2004.

“I am really proud of the girls and the fight they showed tonight,” head coach Marty Beall said. “Elon is a very good team that is very well coached. They made life difficult for us, especially in the first half. Our effort tonight was great and we really picked it up in the second half. We possessed the ball better and created some really good chances.”

The Panthers remain undefeated with the win, improving to 2-0-2 on the season, while Elon falls to 1-4-0 in 2014. High Point improves to 2-13-4 all-time against the Phoenix, earning its first win over Elon since 2004 when the Panthers picked up a 2-1 win at home.

The Phoenix nearly took the first lead in the game in the 50th minute when Elon’s Marissa Russo took a shot in the box off a corner kick. Russo took the shot from the right side of the box, bending it towards the far post. Freshman Jordan Beets dove to her right and pushed the ball just past the post for the save, maintaining the scoreless stalemate.

Kessler broke a scoreless tie in the 64th minute with her second goal of the season. The forward received a cross in the box from freshman Paige Rombach and took a shot with her first touch. The shot was saved and the ball popped into the air. Kessler tracked the rebound and scored on an open net to put HPU ahead 1-0.

The score remained 1-0 until the 89th minute when Kessler doubled the High Point lead on a free kick from 20-yards out. The Panthers drew a foul just outside the penalty area and Kessler lined up over the ball. The senior curled a shot into the top right corner to give HPU a 2-0 lead.

Freshman Becca Rolfe added a third goal with her first score of the season just one minute later to put High Point ahead, 3-0. The Panthers turned Elon over in the midfield and Rolfe caught the keeper off her line with a shot from distance that found the back of the net.

High Point outshot Elon 10-3 in the second half with seven of the 10 shots on frame. The Panthers finished with a 13-5 advantage in shots for the game while Elon had an 8-2 edge in corner kicks.

Beets’ save was HPU’s only stop of the game. The freshman earned her second win of the season after playing the second half. Fellow freshman Alex Persiani played the first half and did not face a shot.