HPU Women’s Soccer Earns 2-0 Win At Gardner-Webb

• High Point picked up a 2-0 win on the road at Gardner-Webb on Wednesday.
• Junior Meg Kowalski and sophomore Paige Rombach both found the back of the net in the win for HPU.
• Redshirt-junior Kelsey Perrell earned an assist on both goals for the Panthers.

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The High Point University women’s soccer team earned its first win in conference play with a 2-0 victory at Gardner-Webb on Wednesday night in Boiling Springs, N.C.

“I am very proud of the way the team played tonight,” head coach Marty Beall said. “Gardner-Webb is a tough team and this is difficult place to come and get a result. I was pleased with how we dominated many aspects of the game. Our team defending was fantastic again and our offense started to really click. This was a great step in the right direction now we need to regroup and get ready for Winthrop.”

The Panthers improve to 6-2-3 overall and 1-1-0 in the Big South with the win while Gardner-Webb drops to 3-6-2 and 0-2-0 in the conference.

High Point controlled possession throughout the opening 45 and was rewarded in the 40th minute when sophomore Paige Rombach scored to put the Panthers in front, 1-0. Redshirt-junior Kelsey Perrell slotted a pass through the GWU defense to Rombach who then beat the Runnin’ Bulldog keeper with a low shot to the right corner. The score was Rombach’s second of the season.

HPU doubled its lead just three minutes later as junior Meg Kowalski scored her first goal of 2015. Kowalski, who had already forced two saves in the game, received a square ball from freshman Savannah Stoughton and beat the keeper one-on-one with a shot to the right side. Perrell earned her second assist of the night with a through ball to Stoughton to start the play.

The Panthers dominated the ball throughout the night and finished with a 23-7 edge in shots that included a 13-2 advantage in shots on goal. Keely Brown stopped 10 shots for the Runnin’ Bulldogs while sophomore Alex Persiani needed just two saves to record her fourth shutout of the season for HPU.

High Point returns home this weekend when the team will host Winthrop at Vert Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 3. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The Panthers earned a 1-0 double-overtime win at Winthrop last season thanks to a last-second goal by Jenny Marshall.