The High Point University Panthers got two goals in two minutes on set pieces. When another Panther goal found the back of the net eight minutes later, Elon University found themselves in a hole they could not climb out of.
High Point freshman forward Ben Burdon scored the eventual game-winner from five yards out in the 34th minute, helping the Panthers to a 4-2 victory over the Phoenix in both team’s season-opener.
“We certainly didn’t start the way we planned on starting,” Elon coach Darren Powell said. “But, fair play to High Point. They had a game plan and they executed their chances in the first half.”
Elon senior forward Chris Thomas, a preseason all-Southern Conference pick, scored in the 18th minute to cap a flurry of early opportunities for the Phoenix in the first half. Thomas headed a cross from freshman midfielder Charles Howard past High Point redshirt-freshman goalkeeper Kody Palmer, much to the delight of the program-record 3,862 in attendance in Rhodes Stadium.
But High Point freshman defender Adam Storm tapped in a goal from a scrum in front of Elon sophomore keeper Nathan Dean in the 25th minute, then junior midfielder Adam Sewell added another goal off a set piece cross from freshman defender Austin Yearwood one minute later.
It was the High Point set pieces that killed the Phoenix, said Elon freshman midfielder James Brace.
“We were just struggling on our set pieces, it’s something we need to work on,” he said. “We had chances at one-nil, but set pieces killed our momentum.”
At that point, High Point took total control of the game, getting shots off left and right. Burdon took a pass from sophomore midfielder Leon Carby and ripped the ball past Dean for a 3-1 lead, a lead that stuck.
“Mentally, we just broke down and weren’t doing the easy things that we’re good at doing,” Thomas said.
The Phoenix started the second half strong, getting a goal on a header from junior midfielder Daniel Lovitz in the 54th minute.
“In the locker room, that was the first thing our coaches said,” Thomas said. “That’s what everybody knew, we had to get that first goal. And we got it.”
But Carby scored a loose ball in the box in the 66th minute to put the Panthers back in the lead at 4-2.
The Phoenix and Panthers went back and forth in the last 24 minutes. Brace had a couple shots go wide, but nothing found the net.
Next, the Phoenix will take on Campbell University Sept. 1, a game in which Powell will look to see a massive amount of improvement, especially in defending set pieces.
“We’ll get back on the practice field this week and reconfigure what we’re doing,” he said. “They had good delivery on them and we’ve just got to be better attacking the ball in both penalty boxes.”