Site: Buies Creek, N.C. (Eakes)
Score: High Point 2, Campbell 1 (Overtime)
Records: High Point 10-7-2 (8-2), Campbell 12-4-3 (9-1-0)
BUIES CREEK, N.C. — The High Point University women’s soccer faced Campbell in the Big South Championship game for the second consecutive season. Skyler Prillaman provided the championship-clinching goal in the 94th minute to give High Point its seventh Big South Tournament title. High Point delivered Campbell its first home loss of the 2021 fall season. HPU is headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017.
Brandi Fontaine: “I’m beyond excited for the girls to have this opportunity, to win a championship this is what we work all season for. I think they did a phenomenal job today, they came out and fought with every bit of heart that they had and competed and that is what we needed. We knew it was going to come down to mindset and competing today.”
Panther Particulars
The Big South Championship game featured #2 High Point and #1 Campbell and was one of nine of the 24 title games conducted on Sunday that contained championship matchups between the top two teams in the conference.
HPU took control early on getting a few quality chances early as High Point wasted no time in applying pressure to the Camels. Schwarz nearly set up a scoring opportunity in the ninth minute. In the 10th minute, Prillaman shot it but right to the Campbell keeper.
High Point had been forcing the issue all half and in the 30th minute, the Panthers received a reward for their hard work. Schwarz collected a pass from Alex Deperno, took a couple of dribbles, and unleashed a left-footed shot from the top left corner of the box that sailed into the upper right corner of Duval’s net.
HPU would take the 1-0 advantage into halftime.
The Panthers were ready to protect their lead in the second half, redshirt junior keeper Morgan Hairston had her best performance to date in a High Point Uniform making 11 saves and holding a high-powered Camel offense that scored 50 goals a season ago to only one.
One of Hairston’s best saves of the day came on a great chance for the Camels in the 67th minute but Hairston punched away the ball sent in by Campbell’s Jackie Richards.
CU found the equalizer in the 81st minute of the contest tying the game at 1-1. The championship game was sent into extra time.
Just three minutes into overtime, Salome’ Prat slid a ball down the right channel to Prillaman, who struck a shot from the right edge of the box that sailed into the top left corner of Reaghan Duval’s net for her seventh goal of the season.
Prillaman scored to give HPU the thrilling 2-1 win to clinch High Point’s 7th Big South Tournament title.
Prillaman was named tournament MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by Prat, London Lewis, and Shaylyn Owen.
2021 Big South Championship All-Tournament Team
Skyler Prillaman (High Point) (MVP)
Salome’ Prat (High Point)
London Lewis (High Point)
Shaylyn Owen (High Point)
Elyssa Nowowieski (Campbell)
Delaney Baumbick (Campbell)
Jackie Richards (Campbell)
Madison Lockamy (Longwood)
Amanda Arnone (Longwood)
Kat Parris (Radford)
Kennedy Dunnings (Radford)
Brianna Robinson (Charleston Southern)
Katelyn Kellogg (Gardner-Webb)
UP NEXT
The Panthers are going dancing! High Point finds out who they will be facing in the NCAA Tournament tomorrow at 4:30 PM on the NCAA Women’s Soccer Selection Show airing on NCAA.com.