#3 High Point Defeats #6 Longwood, 3-1, Advances to Semifinals
By High Point Athletics
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women's soccer team defeated Longwood University 3-1 in the Big South quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals. Ally Ruiz scored first for the Panthers, and Sabba Haghgoo added a brace to clinch their fourth straight victory.
The Panthers controlled the opening five minutes, maintaining possession in their offensive zone before Ally Ruiz received a pass from a High Point teammate, sidestepped a Longwood defender, and found the net for the game's first goal.
At the 13-minute mark, Brooke Potter connected with Sabba Haghgoo to set up the Panthers' second goal of the game. Potter played a pass to her right to an open Haghgoo, who slipped her shot into the bottom-left corner of the net.
HPU kept the Lancers off the scoreboard for the remainder of the first half, taking a 2-0 lead into the break. The Panthers converted both shots on goal, finishing their chances at a perfect rate. Haghgoo, Ruiz and Abbie Zubrzycki combined for six shots. Making her first start of the season, Caroline Dewey also recorded a shot during her 45 minutes of first-half action.
Neither team scored in the second half until the 70-minute mark, when Longwood cut the Panthers' lead to 2-1. With fewer than two minutes remaining, Haghgoo powered a shot into the top-left corner of the net to seal the win and a semifinal berth.
The Panthers finished the night with 12 shots, including seven on goal, while limiting Longwood to one goal on 13 shots, six of them on target. Haghgoo recorded her third multi-goal game of the season, bringing her season goal total to a career-high nine goals in a single season.
Goalkeeper Nylah Mirshafiei claimed five saves in her 90 minutes of play, claiming her seventh win of the season.
With the victory, the Panthers advance to the semifinals to face the No. 2-seeded UNC Asheville Bulldogs. The teams will meet in Asheville, N.C., with kickoff set for 6 p.m. on Nov. 10.