HPU WSOC Panthers Fall 3-2 In OT at Radford

• High Point University women’s soccer loses its first conference game in overtime matchup at Radford
• Freshman Brooke Parsons delivered the first goal of her career, while fellow first-year Skyler Prillaman put away her fourth
• Panther goalkeepers combined for 10 saves on the night, with junior Talia Klimes tying a career-high with eight stops

RADFORD, Va. – High Point University women’s soccer suffered its first loss in conference play this Saturday, falling to an experienced Radford team 3-2 in overtime. The Panthers pushed the Highlanders to their limits, despite playing a side with nine upper-classmen in its starting lineup, coming short in overtime, against one of the top teams in the Big South.

The Panthers were met with a quick start from their opponents Saturday night, as the hosting Highlanders struck on their first shot just three minutes into regulation. Leading Radford goal scorer Jessica Wollman picked up her eighth tally of the year off a low cross delivered into the middle, as High Point was forced to play from behind early.

Becca Palmer and Lauren Mazich each had their own scoring opportunities in the early stages, but neither were able to steer their attempts on target. The Panthers offense began to look capable of an equalizer in the final 10 minutes of the first half, rounding off three unanswered shots on goal before the halftime whistle. Both sides would have three shots on goal after 45 minutes, but it would be Radford’s early tally that would represent the 1-0 difference at halftime.

Fans too busy at the concession stands may have missed the next two goals of the contest, with the Panthers delivering a pair in the first four minutes of the second half. Starting freshman forward Brooke Parsons equalized things on the first goal of her career, beating a Radford defender at the edge of the 18 before pocketing her team’s first tally of the evening in the 46th.

“I was proud of our bounce back to start the second half and was glad to see some of our younger players put some goals away,” said Head Coach Brandi Fontaine. “There is a lot to take away from this game tonight and we just have to get back to work and keep moving forward.”

Parsons would have a hand in HPU’s go ahead goal just three minutes later, delivering a ball to a streaking Skyler Prillaman, who put away her fourth of the season in the 49th. The two freshman finished with a combined five points on the night, with Parsons becoming the fourth High Point freshman to score in 2018.

Coming in at the break, Panther goalkeeper Talia Klimes would be kept busy in the second half, facing 15 shots in the latter period of play. The junior turned away a pair of Highlander attempts before ceding her first goal against in the 71st, as the home team evened things at 2-2 on a PK.

Klimes made another three stops before the end of regulation to help send her team to overtime, as the Panthers would be forced into extra periods for the fourth occasion in 2018.

Both sides would get opportunities in the first OT, with Prillaman steering her second shot of the night on frame. Radford was the busier side offensively however, as Klimes again came up big with another three stops.

With the clock ticking down, the night’s match looked destined for a second extra time period, before a Radford shot from nearly 35 yards out beat the Panther keeper and gave the home team a game winner with 12 seconds left on the scoreboard. The loss is the Panthers’ first in Big South play this season, and their first overtime loss of the campaign.

>> Klimes faced a career-high 21 shots on the night, while her eight stops tie the personal best she set against Elon earlier this season
>> Of the 38 individual points the Panthers have accumulated this year, 24 of them have come from freshmen
>> Five different Panthers had shots on goal against Radford, with Prillaman’s SOG total against the Big South reaching 10 on the year

COMING UP NEXT
• HPU comes back home for its fifth match of the Big South season, hosting Presbyterian next Wednesday at 4 p.m.
• The Panthers are on a seven-match win streak against the Blue Hose, and have never lost to Presbyterian at home