Photo Credit: Sideline Sports http://www.bigsouthphotos.com

No. 7 High Point, No. 2 Gardner-Webb
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Two second half goals pushed No. 7 High Point past No. 2 Gardner-Webb, 2-0 in the third game of the 2009 Big South Women’s Soccer Championship presented by Musco Sports Lighting Thursday at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C.  The Panthers will play the winner of No. 3 Charleston Southern-No. 6 Radford Friday night at 7:00pm in the semifinals, it’s their first appearance in the semifinals since a 1-0 loss to Coastal Carolina last year.

There was plenty of offense to start game three as the two teams combined for seven shots with three on goal in the first 20 minutes of play.  Despite a total of 12 shots, neither team was able to find the scoring tally as the first half remained scoreless.

Ashley Holleran had a chance early in the second half to put HPU on top, but her shot sailed over the goal.  Katie Taber finally broke the scoreless streak as she scored her second goal of the season off a header in the 66th minute.  It was just the eighth goal of the season for the Panthers.

Seven minutes later, a Sarah Rager attack bounced off the cross bar, eventually landing at the feet of Laura Shupe, who put it home from the top of the 18-yard box giving HPU a 2-0 lead.

After a yellow card was given to HPU keeper Marisa Abbott in the 78th minute, Gardner-Webb had an opportunity to cut into the lead with a free kick at the top of the 18.  Sarah Keyser’s shot was blocked by a seven-person wall and eventually cleared out of danger by the Panthers.

Rager answered right back with a shot on a fast break, trying to bend it around GWU goalie Samantha Rupert as the pair collided.  Rager’s shot went wide and an injured Rupert left the game with Chelsea Hearne taking her spot in goal in the 80th minute.

Gardner-Webb’s opportunities weren’t finished but Kasey Gladhill’s sliding attempt on a loose ball with 6:36 in the box hit the post.  Gladhill had two more opportunities in the 87th minute as her redirection off a cross was blocked by Abbott.  She got her own rebound but a great reaction save by Abbott kept the shut out in tact.

Abbott finished with five saves and a clean sheet in 90 minutes of action in goal for High Point, while her offense put four of their 13 shots on goal.  Rager led the way with three shots, while Courtney Spotts had a pair of shots and one assist.  The Gardner-Webb offense had 15 shots, including five shots on goal, with Megan Tremblay and Gladhill each tallying four shots.  In 79:37 of action in goal for GWU, Rupert had two saves and gave up both goals, while Hearne was not forced to make a save in her 10:23 of action.

High Point improves to 6-14-1 (4-4-1 Big South) on the year, while Gardner-Webb ends its season at 12-9-0 (6-3-0 Big South.  High Point will be making its sixth appearance in the Big South Tournament semifinals.


QUOTES

Gardner-Webb Head Coach Kevin Mounce
“Both teams played really hard.  High Point definitely wanted to win this game.  Marty [Beall} did a great job coaching and preparing his team for this game and it showed.”

High Point Head Coach Marty Beall
“We’ve been working very hard in Conference play, getting better and better each night and I think that today we played our best game that we’ve played all year.  We needed to do that against a very good Gardner-Webb team that is well coached and has some very good players.  I was very proud of how our team really stepped up tonight.”