Sermonet Scores Two in HPU Women’s Soccer’s 3-1 Win at Radford

• Senior Sarah Sermonet scored a career-high two goals for the Panthers in the win.
• Sophomore Kai-Lin Hernandez scored her first collegiate goal to put HPU ahead.
• Freshman Alex Persiani earned the win for High Point, improving to 3-1-1 on the season.

RADFORD, Va. – The High Point University women’s soccer team picked up a 3-1 win over Radford on the road in Big South action on Saturday night in Radford, Virginia. Senior Sarah Sermonet scored a career-high two goals for HPU.

“This was a very gutty performance by the team tonight,” head coach Marty Beall said. “This was the first time this season they played extremely hard for 90 minutes. We battled for balls in the air and won second balls. That work ethic and effort is what we have been missing for a full 90 minutes and today we had it against a very good Radford team.”

High Point fell down a goal in the sixth minute after surrendering a penalty to the Highlanders. Hannah Duff took the kick from the spot and scored with a low shot to the right to put Radford ahead, 1-0.

The Panthers came back and tied the game at 1-1 in the 22nd minute with a goal by Sermonet. Freshman Becca Rolfe beat her defender on the left edge of the box and sent a cross towards goal. Sermonet cut across her defender and flicked a shot towards the right post for the equalizer, her second goal of the season.

Just three minutes later, High Point found the net again on a header by sophomore Kai-Lin Hernandez. The Panthers earned a free kick in the offensive third and freshman Taylor Romano lifted a looping ball into the box. Hernandez out jumped her marker and hit an arching header back across the face of goal and into the top left corner. The goal was the first of Hernandez’s collegiate career.

HPU extended its lead in the 70th minute with Sermonet’s second goal of the night, making the score 3-1. Freshman Jordan Beets punted the ball up the field and Sermonet headed it on into the box where it bounced away from the RU keeper and into the net.

The Panthers finished with 13 shots compared to 10 for Radford and put seven shots on frame.

Freshman Alex Persiani earned her third win of the season after splaying the first half for HPU and making one save. Beets played the second half and saved two shots for the Panthers. Radford’s Sydney Chervenic took the loss for Radford after allowing two first-half goals.

With the win, HPU improves to 7-4-3 overall and 4-2-1 in the Big South. Radford drops to 6-8-2 overall and 3-4-1 in the Big South.

High Point continues conference play on Wednesday, Oct. 22, when the team will travel to Charleston, South Carolina to face the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. The game will kickoff at 3 p.m.