HPU 1, UPSTATE 1: Big South MSOC Championship Rematch Goes the Distance as HPU Draws

Site: High Point, N.C.
Score: High Point 1, USC Upstate 1
Records: High Point (3-4-2) (1-0-2), USC Upstate (2-5-3) (0-1-1)

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s soccer played to a 110’ 1-1 draw with USC Upstate in a rematch of the 2020-21 Big South Championship game. MD Myers scored the lone goal for HPU which tied the game at one. The goal marked the fourth of the season for the junior.

Zach Haines: “It was a competitive game and both teams had chances to win it. We obviously wanted more from our first three conference games in terms of results, but we need to stick together and keep working. This is a resilient group of guys, and they know what they are capable of. We look forward to another opportunity Saturday at Longwood to get to where we need to be to have a strong finish in the second half of the season.”

Panther Particulars

Cooper Lindfelt made his first collegiate start and played all 110 minutes in his collegiate starting debut.

Alex Abril fired the first Panther shot of the night in the 15th minute that went wide as the two sides felt each other out in the early going.

In the 20th minute, Caco Fernandez threaded a cross past several Spartan defenders and the Upstate keeper that just missed the outstretched foot of Myers. It was a great chance for HPU, nearly broke the 0-0 tie.

In the 27th minute, USC Upstate scored to go up 1-0. The momentum shifted towards the Spartans who took their one-goal lead into the break.

HPU came into the second half with a new energy hunting for that game-tying goal and in the 53rd minute, it came as Myers provided the equalizer to tie the game at one. Myers was assisted by Fernandez as Myers sprinted towards an excellently timed ball from Fernandez and was able to beat the Spartan keeper to tie the game.

After the equalizer, HPU came across a few chances to try and take the lead but they did not connect including a shot that flew just above goal from Biggerstaff in the 80th minute. After 90 minutes tied at one the game headed to overtime.

In the 92nd minute, Holden Trent was tested and made a diving save that came off of a Spartan header to hold the game at one.

In the 95th minute, the Panthers had a string of chances that created a dangerous moment in the box for Upstate that resulted in a shot from Ashton Perkins that was stopped by the Spartans. A foul called on Perkins would help the Spartans survive.

The second overtime saw HPU with even better chances to end the game as Perkins fired a throw into the box in the 105th minute that came off of the head of Myer who shot it just too high as it bounced out over the crossbar.

The Big South Defensive Player of the Week, Trent was just able to poke away a shot in the 107th minute from Upstate’s Mario Arrocha to keep the game tied at one.

The contest ended after 110 minutes in a 1-1 draw. It was the third straight HPU home game that went into overtime.

Up Next

The Panthers are back on the road in Farmville, Va. to face Longwood on Saturday (Oct. 9). at 7:00 PM.