HIGH POINT, N.C. – UNC Asheville narrowly pulled off the upset of No. 23 High Point, but the Panthers were able to score with six seconds remaining in the second overtime to pick up a 2-1 Big South win over the Bulldogs on Wednesday, Oct. 3 at Vert Stadium.
The first half in the match belonged to the Bulldogs. UNC Asheville owned a 5-2 advantage in shots in the half with three of the shots on frame.
The Bulldogs controlled the run of play in the half and their efforts resulted in Taylor Durall finding the back of the net in the 29th minute.
UNC Asheville (1-8-2, 0-3-0 Big South) would go on to own a 1-0 lead at the halftime break.
The Bulldogs looked as if they were going to pull off the upset in the match with UNC Asheville still owning a 1-0 lead late in regulation, but High Point’s Ryan Inman would be able to find the back of the net in the 84th minute to even things up in the match at 1-1.
Neither team would be able to score in the final minutes to send the game into overtime.
Both teams had quality chances in the two overtime periods with UNC Asheville’s Izaiah Vignali thoroughly testing High Point goalkeeper Keegan Meyer in the 104thminute, but his shot was saved to leave the game at 1-1.
In the final seconds the Bulldogs were furiously trying to keep the Panthers out of the net, but an Inman corner kick was placed into the back of the net by Tony Pineda with six seconds remaining to give High Point (9-1-0, 4-0-0 Big South) the win.
Overall in the match, High Point owned a 22-8 shot advantage over the Bulldogs. The Panthers held a 10-2 advantage in corner kick opportunities.
UNC Asheville played the last six-plus minutes of regulation and overtime with 10 men.
BULLDOG BITES
Finding the Back of the Net
UNC Asheville’s Taylor Durall has scored in the past two matches for the Bulldogs. He now leads the team in both goals (three) and points (seven).
Going to Overtime
UNC Asheville has now had three overtime matches this season, including two straight. The Bulldogs this past weekend tied Furman 1-1 at Greenwood Field before falling 2-1 to High Point in overtime on Wednesday. UNC Asheville also tied Appalachian State, 1-1, on Wednesday, Sept. 12 at Greenwood Field.
#ThePursuit Men of the Match
UNC Asheville’s Dante’ Bova and Mac Gourlay shared #ThePursuit Man of the Match honors for their efforts for the Bulldogs in the narrow loss to No. 23 High Point.
Quotable
“I am absolutely gutted for our guys,” UNC Asheville men’s soccer head coach Mathes Mennell said. “We got our tactics pretty right and I thought our effort was fantastic. We gave High Point all it could handle. The red card (to Austin Howard in the 84th minute) was maybe a little harsh, but I thought it was the correct call also too. It was not a spiteful foul, but it was a dangerous play and he had to see red for it. I thought the referee did a good job of managing the game tonight. I thought we had some chances, but High Point is ranked 23rd in the country for a reason. I thought we were great though.
“I am very proud of everything we did tonight. Soccer is a cruel game sometimes, and tonight is one of those times where you are reminded of that. We have a lot of points still available in Big South play and we are now on to Winthrop at Greenwood Field on Saturday. Again, anyone that watched the UNC Asheville Bulldogs play tonight if you have any reaction other than positive than I think you watched a different game than I did. I am so proud to be the coach of this team and to see the way they represent themselves and our university. We’ll get back to work tomorrow and get ready for Winthrop on Saturday.”
Up Next
UNC Asheville men’s soccer will next welcome Winthrop to Greenwood Field for a 5 p.m. match on Saturday, Oct. 6.
The Big South matchup will serve as UNC Asheville’s annual “Jeans for Genes” match with all fans asked to wear jeans to help raise awareness for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In addition, UNC Asheville will give free admission to those who bring five items for donation to the Manna Food Bank.
The match will also serve as “Scout Saturday” at Greenwood Field with free admission for all boy/cub scouts and scoutmasters on the evening.
Box Score: https://uncabulldogs.com/boxscore.aspx?path=msoc&id=4961
