University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
6-11-1, 5-5-0
High Point
8-7-2, 8-2-0
Women’s soccer falls just short to High Point in regular-season
10.26.2021 | Women's Soccer
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville women's soccer team capped off its 2021 season on Tuesday afternoon, falling narrowly to the High Point Panthers 2-1.
Kaiya Boyd scored for the third consecutive game as the Bulldogs held the 1-0 advantage all the way until the waning minutes of the game, where High Point was able to convert a penalty kick and the go-ahead goal in the last five minutes of play.
Knocking on the Door
High Point, which came into the game having won seven of its last eight games, locked up the No. 2 seed in the Big South Championship. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs – who were picked to finish 10th in the preseason poll – end the season with a 5-5 record in conference play, tying for fifth place overall but falling just shy of the tournament due to the head-to-head tiebreaker.
On the Rise
Although the season ended Wednesday, the Bulldogs and first-year coach Andy McNab have a lot to be proud of, and to build on, with its six wins (6-11-1) being the most since 2017. Even more impressive, the five wins in the Big South is the most the program has had since 2005.
"What we just said to them is we are just so proud of them as a group," McNab said. "To go from bottom of the conference last year to being tied for fifth and narrowly missing out, there's an immense pride in the team right now. There's definitely a growth there, and seeing the emotions of the players at the end shows that we are on the right track."
The Game at a Glance
- Boyd scores just four minutes into the game
- Courtney O'Malley puts forth a brilliant six-save effort
- Panthers score penalty kick in 86th, game-winner in 89th
- Asheville puts five shots on frame, tallies 11 total
How it Happened
Asheville, which had won three straight going into Tuesday, looked strong early, and after a shot from Taylor Gardner forced a goal kick, a ball was misplayed by High Point's goalkeeper as Boyd took advantage and put the Bulldogs ahead 1-0 in the 4th minute of play. The Panthers looked to equalize shortly after, but O'Malley produced three saves including an incredible leaping effort to prevent a surefire, upper-90 goal, sending the teams into the break.
The Panthers earned a pair of corners and challenged O'Malley again in the early parts of the second, but Asheville held its one-goal advantage. In the middle part of the half, the Bulldogs had the momentum, getting chances from Boyd, Ava Nkadi and Lindie Clark. With time winding down, High Point was awarded a penalty kick that Juliette Vidal converted, adding the second goal just moments later when Lindsey DeHaven found Emily Mashinski for the score.
Reflecting and Looking Ahead
"The youthfulness of this team is what is going to be great going forward," McNab said. "We scored 10 goals in the last four games. That's what was missing for us at the start, but I think that will be massive going into the spring and taking it into next fall."
McNab on the Seniors:
"All the seniors put in such work," McNab said of the season and their efforts within the program. "We'll miss all of them moving forward, but at the end of the day, they've left the program in a fantastic place, and that's all you can ask for."
Team Stats
Kaiya Boyd (4)
GOAL by AVL Boyd, Kaiya.
03:04
Juliette Vidal (4)
GOAL by HPU Vidal, Juliette.
85:07
Emily Mashinski (8)
Assisted By: Lindsey DeHaven , Salom? Prat
GOAL by HPU Mashinski, Emily Assist by DeHaven, Lindsey and Prat, Salom?.
88:01
