• Two overtimes weren’t enough this Friday, as High Point University women’s soccer worked to a scoreless tie with visiting Elon
• Both sides combined for 37 shots overall on the night, with HPU junior goalkeeper Talia Klimes making a career-high eight stops
• The Panthers’ shutout is their second of the year, as their record moves to 6-1-5 in overtime games over the past three years
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women’s soccer program held in-state foes Elon to a stalemate this past Friday, as the two sides finished in a 0-0 draw after 110 minutes of play.
Both sides would get their opportunities in the opening half with freshman forward Skyler Prillaman taking a pair of attempts on net in the first 17 minutes. Prillaman, who has been vital part of the Panthers’ offense this year, played a career-high 85 minutes for Head Coach Brandi Fontaine’s side, creating opportunities both in regulation and extra time.
With each goalkeeper facing just a single shot on net in the first half, the score would remain level at 0-0 heading into the break, before junior Talia Klimes would get between the pipes for the Panthers at the start of the second.
Klimes would go on to play an outstanding 65 minutes, stopping a career-high five shots on net in the final 45 minutes alone. The Maryland-native wouldn’t be done however, steering away another three shots in the first of her team’s two overtime periods to finish with eight on the evening.
“Coming in at half is obviously a struggle especially at 0-0.” said Klimes after the night’s match. “It gives you a lot of pressure but I think the biggest thing is just to know your teammates are going to help you out and just try and pick them up and pick the energy up.”
Klimes and the Panther defense gave their offense the opportunity for a game-winner in the second overtime period, with starting forward Brooke Parsons coming within inches of giving her side the game-winner on a shot that just cleared the crossbar.
“We created the opportunities and our runs were great.” said Coach Fontaine. “Things were there, we just didn’t put that final piece together and that’s the part that we gotta work on. Just putting that final piece and touch in, to finish opportunities that we were given.”
With both keepers staying perfect on the night, HPU would be forced to take the 0-0 draw and move their record to 1-3-1 in a young 2018 season.
>> In addition to Klimes’ eight, starting keeper Emily Lyon made a single save in the first to secure the Panthers’ second shutout of the year, and the sixth of their past 10 matches, going back to last year
>> Midfielders Ashlyn Kearney and Becca Palmer each tallied their first shot on goal of the year against the Phoenix, as HPU’s 12 shots came within a single attempt shy of tying the season-high they set against App State to open the season
>> Junior defender Allie Reagan and midfielder Shaylyn Owen played every minute of Friday’s match, with the latter sitting with a team-high 392 minutes played on the year
COMING UP NEXT
• High Point hops back on the bus with a short road trip to UNCG next Monday, facing off with the Spartans at 7 p.m.
• The Panthers stand 1-5-1 against UNCG overall, but are 1-1-1 against the Spartans going over the previous three years