High Point Panthers women's soccer

The High Point Panthers women's soccer team is an NCAA Division I college soccer team representing High Point University as part of the Big South Conference. They play their home games at Vert Stadium in High Point, North Carolina.[2]

High Point Panthers women's soccer
Founded1992
UniversityHigh Point University
Head coachAaron McGuiness (2nd season)
ConferenceBig South
LocationHigh Point, North Carolina
StadiumVert Stadium
(Capacity: 1,100)
NicknamePanthers
ColorsPurple and white[1]
   
Home
Away
NCAA Tournament appearances
2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2017
Conference Tournament championships
2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2017
Conference Regular Season championships
2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019

History edit

The team was founded in 1992 as an independent Division II program, and it had a few 10-win seasons from 1993 to 1996, sandwiched by losing seasons in 1992 and 1997–98. In 1999, the Panthers jumped to NCAA Division I and the Big South Conference. The team struggled its first four years with 4- and 5-win seasons. The Panthers entered the 2003 Big South Tournament at 8–9 and the #6 seed, but surprised the conference by capturing the tournament title with a 0–0, 3–2 penalty-kick shootout win over UNC-Asheville to gain the first Division I NCAA tournament bid in High Point Panthers history.[3] In the NCAA tournament, High Point lost 8–0 to eventual champion North Carolina.[4] Forward Jen Evans, the career goals leader, paced the 2003 team with 10 scores, and also played a pivotal role on the 2007 squad that returned to the NCAA tournament. The Panthers once again ran into UNC in the 2007 tournament and lost 6–1, with senior Amy Anzovino providing the lone Panther score in the 55th minute.[5]

Head coach Marty Beall took over in 2009. A long-shot to make the field in the first place, HPU entered the 2009 Big South tournament as the 7 seed at 5–14–1, but took home the conference title with a 0–0, 4–2 penalty kick shootout win over Winthrop.[6] The team was backstopped by senior goalkeeper Marisa Abbott, who brought a 527-minute shutout streak and a whopping 120 saves on the season to the first round of the NCAA tournament, where they faced North Carolina on November 13. North Carolina outshot High Point 31–0. Abbott made 14 saves, a High Point single-game record, but the Tar Heels notched a single goal off a rebound in the 69th minute for a 1–0 win.[7]The 2009 UNC team sported several future U.S. women's national team players including Tobin Heath, and went on to win the national title.

High Point won Big South Conference regular-season titles in 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2017, with NCAA tournament appearances coming in 2010, 2014, and 2017. In the 2010 NCAA tournament, High Point took a lead over No. 4 Maryland off freshman forward Kelli Joline's goal in the eighth minute, but the Terrapins equalized 21 seconds later and won 4–1.[8] In 2014, High Point took the Big South conference tournament with a 2–2, 5–4 penalty-kick win over Liberty,[9] but fell 8–0 to Virginia. In 2017, the Panthers won the Big South regular season with a 7–1–1 record and rolled to three straight conference tournament wins to capture Beall's third NCAA bid. The Panthers traveled to familiar NCAA Tournament foe North Carolina, where they dropped a 3–0 decision.[10]

In February 2018, following Marty Beall's departure to Richmond, Brandi Fontaine was named HPU's sixth head coach of the Division I era. Fontaine had spent the last nine years as HPU's assistant coach and associate head coach.[11]

Individual awards edit

Big South Attacking Player of the Year

  • Kelsey Perrell – 2016

Big South Defensive Player of the Year

  • Alex Hank – 2015

Big South Freshman of the Year

  • Skyler Prillaman – 2018

CoSIDA Academic All-American

  • Becca Hemby – 2013

Big South Coach of the Year

  • Marty Beall – 2012, 2016
  • Brandi Fontaine – 2019

Big South Tournament MVP

  • Stephanie Moenter – 2003
  • Sara Rager – 2007
  • Marisa Abbott – 2009
  • Janay Whittaker – 2010
  • Jacky Kessler – 2014
  • Alex Hank – 2017

Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year

  • Traci Andersen – 2006
  • Alex Torriero – 2007
  • Brielle Spencer – 2010, 2011
  • Becca Hemby – 2013
  • Becca Rolfe – 2016

Individual career records edit

RecordAmountPlayerYears
Goals30Jen Evans
Kelli Joline
2002–07
2010–13
Assists23Sara Rager2007–10
Points77Jen Evans2002–07
Shots239Jen Evans2002–07
Saves262Alex Hank2014–17
GAA0.86Alex Hank2014–17
Wins40Alex Hank2014–17
Shutouts29Alex Hank2014–17

Individual single-season records edit

RecordAmountPlayerYear
Goals10Kelli Joline
Becca Hemby
2010
2012
Assists9Sara Rager2010
Points27Jen Evans2004
Shots93Jen Evans2004
Saves134Marisa Abbott2009
GAA0.49Alex Hank2015
Wins12Alex Hank2016, 2017
Shutouts10Alex Hank2015, 2016

Seasons edit

Statistics overview
SeasonCoachOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
NAIA Carolinas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1992–1992)
1992Woody Gibson2–14–1
Dual membership: NCAA DII and NAIA Carolinas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1993–1994)
1993Woody Gibson12–5–1
1994Woody Gibson11–7–1
NCAA DII Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference (1995–1996)
1995Heather Puckett12–6–27–3T-4th
1996Heather Puckett10–97–2–13rd
NCAA DII Independent (1997–1998)
1997Heather Puckett3–12–2
1998Heather Puckett5–12–1
NCAA Division I Big South Conference (1999–Present)
1999Traci Foels5–12–21–5–17th
2000Traci Foels4–11–22–3–15th
2001Traci Foels4–12–12–4T-5th
2002Traci Foels4–10–41–2–35th
2003Traci Foels10–10–13–46thNCAA First Round
2004Traci Foels11–8–14–45th
2005Michelle Rayner10–7–15–3T-2nd
2006Michelle Rayner4–153–5T-6th
2007Michelle Rayner11–8–35–2T-2ndNCAA First Round
2008Michelle Rayner8–5–83–2–45th
2009Marty Beall7–15–24–4–17thNCAA First Round
2010Marty Beall11–11–16–2–1T-1stNCAA First Round
2011Marty Beall8–10–36–2–24th
2012Marty Beall10–6–68–1–21st
2013Marty Beall9–10–16–4–16th
2014Marty Beall12–5–47–2–1T-2ndNCAA First Round
2015Marty Beall12–5–46–3–14th
2016Marty Beall13–6–27–1–11st
2017Marty Beall13–7–17–1–11stNCAA First Round
2018Brandi Fontaine5–10–43–4–38th
2019Brandi Fontaine10–7–28–0–21st
Total:235–254–61 (.481)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

NCAA tournament results edit

YearRoundOpponentScore
2003First RoundNorth CarolinaL 8–0
2007First RoundNorth CarolinaL 6–1
2009First RoundNorth CarolinaL 1–0
2010First RoundMarylandL 4–1
2014First RoundVirginiaL 8–0
2017First RoundNorth CarolinaL 3–0

References edit

  1. ^ "High Point Colors". Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  2. ^ "High Point University Panthers - 2016 Women's Soccer Prospectus" (PDF). High Point Panthers. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  3. ^ "Big South Champs: Women's Soccer Edges UNC Asheville In Shootout". High Point Panthers. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  4. ^ "Women's Soccer Falls To North Carolina In NCAA Tournament". High Point Panthers. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  5. ^ "Panthers Fall 6–1 at North Carolina in NCAA Tournament". High Point Panthers. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  6. ^ "Panthers win the Big South Championship on penalty kicks". High Point Panthers. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  7. ^ "Panthers lose 1–0 heartbreaker to No. 4 UNC in NCAA first round". High Point Panthers. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  8. ^ "High Point takes early lead but falls to No. 4 Maryland, 4–1". High Point Panthers. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  9. ^ "Women's soccer wins fifth Big South Championship". High Point Panthers. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  10. ^ "Panthers Fall to No. 2 UNC in NCAA Tournament". High Point Panthers. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  11. ^ "Brandi Fontaine Named HPU Women's Soccer Head Coach". High Point Panthers. Retrieved February 5, 2018.