FARMVILLE, Va. — The High Point University women's soccer team faced the Longwood Lancers in the Big South Conference opener Saturday afternoon, where the Panthers secured a 2-1 victory over the Lancers with goals by Aleena Ulke and Chloe Edwards.
Head coach Aaron McGuiness said, "It's always nice to get a conference road trip win and start conference play on a positive note. We battled hard and had big portions where we controlled the game. Going forward we need to finish more of our opportunities. Credit to Longwood they never gave up and at times put us under pressure with their pressing."
Records: High Point (2-6-1), (1-0-0); Longwood (3-5-2), (0-1-0)
To start the first half, the Panthers took control of the ball just 45 seconds into the game; junior forward Sabba Haghgoo took the first shot of the game for the Panthers. Haghgoo and Chloe Edwards showcased the Panthers' dominance on the field, taking back-to-back shots on goal to try to give the Panthers an early lead.
Twenty-four minutes into the game, the Panthers took the 1-0 lead when defender Aleena Ulke scored her first goal of the season, assisted by midfielder Taylor Howarth, who recorded her first assist of the season. The goal was scored off a corner kick by Howarth and Ulke was able to slip it in past the Lancer goalkeeper. At the 31-minute mark, Longwood tied the game 1-1. The Panthers ended the half with five shots total and one on goal.
The Panthers returned to the pitch ready to win when just five minutes in, Brooke Potter had her first shot on goal, followed seconds later by a shot from Morgan Wilcox. Minutes later, Potter took her third shot of the game to keep HPU hot. Just before the 75-minute mark, Edwards fired a shot to the bottom left of the goal, scoring her second goal of the season and giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead. She received a long pass from Abbie Zubrzycki, where she was able to get a touch on it before the Lancer defender and score the winning goal.
Nylah Mirshafiei was a force to be reckoned with inside the goal for her entire 90 minutes, where she finished the game with three saves with help from her strong defense in front.
Up next: The Panthers are heading to Asheville, N.C., for their next game where they will face the UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Greenwood Soccer Field on Saturday, September 26 at 2 p.m.
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