HPU Women’s Soccer Earns 2-1 Win Over Presbyterian College on Senior Night

• Freshman Bailey Beattie scored in the 85th minute to give High Point a 2-1 win over Presbyterian College.
• Freshman Paige Rombach tied the game at one in the 31st minute with her third goal of the season, tied for the most on the team.
• HPU guaranteed itself a top-four finish with the victory, clinching home-field advantage for the Big South Quarterfinals on Nov. 2.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women’s soccer team pulled out a 2-1 win over Presbyterian College on Senior Night at Vert Stadium Saturday night. Freshman Bailey Beattie scored the game-winning goal for HPU in the 85th minute.

“We got off to a bit of a slow start tonight but the girls worked really hard in the second half to come back and get the win,” head coach Marty Beall said. “I am very happy for our seniors. Those are four outstanding young ladies who have worked their tails off for us every single day. I am glad we were able to send them out on a winning note.”

High Point and Presbyterian College were tied at 1-1 late in regulation when Beattie connected for her first collegiate goal, giving the Panthers the lead. Senior Sarah Sermonet got a header off a corner but sent the ball off the post and it was cleared by a Blue Hose defender. Beattie corralled the clearance and took one touch forward before hitting a shot from 25-yards out into the top left corner.

The win was High Point’s fourth in the row, improving the Panthers record to 9-4-3 overall and 6-2-1 in the Big South. Presbyterian College dropped to 3-9-3 overall and 0-6-3 with the loss. HPU guaranteed itself a top-four finish with the victory, clinching home-field advantage for the Big South Quarterfinals on Nov. 2.

High Point went down a goal in the 23rd minute when the Blue Hose were awarded a penalty and Kia Mattison converted. Freshman Paige Lloyd was charged with the foul that resulted in the penalty after taking down a PC player in the box. Mattison beat HPU’s Alex Persiani with a low shot to the right to give Presbyterian College a 1-0 lead.

The Panthers tied the game in the 31st minute as freshman Paige Rombach notched her third goal of the season to level the score at 1-1. Freshman Bri Jean-Charles was set free down the right side by redshirt-freshmanMeghan Beidleman and delivered a cross to Rombach in the box. The freshman shot from 12-yards out on her first touch and delivered the ball into the back of the net.

High Point went up a man in the 76th minute when Presbyterian College’s Sydney Fontenot was shown a straight red card for a tackle on Beidleman. The redshirt-freshman got free behind the defense and was taken down by the PC goalkeeper just outside the box resulting in the card.

The Panthers outshot Presbyterian College by a 23-4 margin, putting six shots on frame. The Blue Hose were held without a shot on goal in the run of play, registering its only shot on target on the penalty kick.

Freshman Jordan Beets earned the win after playing the second half in goal for the Panthers, improving to 5-3-2 on the season. Cadye Picklesimer took the loss after coming in for Fontenot, dropping to 0-1-0 on the year.

High Point wraps up the 2014 regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 28, when it takes on Campbell in Buies Creek, North Carolina. Both teams will be looking to secure the best possible seed in the upcoming Big South tournament as HPU enters the game tied for second in the Big South and Campbell sits in fourth. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.