Winthrop women’s soccer suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to High Point on Saturday night after the Panthers scored twice in the final two minutes to overturn the Eagles’ late lead.
Winthrop (5-10-1, 2-5 Big South) appeared poised to close its regular season with a victory after Cordelia McIntosh scored an unassisted goal in the 18th minute to give the Eagles a 1-0 advantage.
Goalkeeper Mia Ruffalo helped preserve the lead throughout the match, turning away multiple High Point opportunities as the Panthers applied pressure. Winthrop carried its advantage into the final minutes despite facing 18 shots from the home team.
High Point finally broke through in the 89th minute when Chloe Edwards tied the match at 88:09. Less than two minutes later, Morgan Wilcox scored off an assist from Amelia Courbron at 89:53 to give the Panthers the 2-1 victory.
McIntosh finished with two shots on goal, accounting for much of Winthrop’s limited offensive production. The Eagles managed just four shots, none in the second half.
Ruffalo turned in a strong performance despite the result, recording eight saves over 90 minutes, including five after halftime.
High Point finished the season matchup with an 18-4 advantage in total shots and secured the victory with its late rally.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Associate Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
