HIGH POINT, N.C. – In a rematch of last season's Big South Conference Championship Game, USC Upstate men's soccer avenged its 3-1 defeat in last season's final match with its first positive result against High Point since 2017 with a 1-1 draw Wednesday night.

The Spartans struck first in the rematch as redshirt junior Javier Torres tallied his third goal of 2021, scoring in back-to-back matches for the first time in his career with his strike in the 27^th minute. Assisting on the goal, redshirt junior Mario Arrocha collected his third assist of 2021.

Defensively, Upstate held High Point to just 11 total shots and two shots on goal during the match, holding the Panthers to their lowest shot and shots on goal total during Big South play.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 1, High Point 1 (2OT)
Records: USC Upstate (2-5-2; 0-1-2 Big South); High Point (3-4-2; 1-0-2 Big South)
Location: Vert Stadium | High Point, N.C.
 
How It Happened

• 2' – Taking a through pass from Jeremy Montero, Upstate's Mario Arrocha dribbled his way into the 18-yard box, firing a shot across the face of the goal just wide for the first opportunity of the match.
• 24' – Firing a left-footed shot from just inside the 18-yard box, High Point's Finn McRobb saw his shot sail wide right as a diving Luca Bulfon for Upstate nearly got a piece for the shot on the Panthers' first good look of the match.
• 27' – Flicking a pass from a pocket in the Panther defense off an Upstate throw-in, Mario Arrocha found Javier Torres in space from just outside the 18-yard box. Off the pass, Torres dribbled to the top of the box before burying a left-footed shot near the right post to give Upstate the lead.
• 49' – Amongst a group of Upstate defenders, High Point's Sebastian Chalbaud lofted a shot into the box where Bulfon was awaiting to make his lone save of the match.
• 53' – Winning the ball back in the midfield, High Point's Caco Fernandez delivered a through ball just in front of a streaking MD Myers who had split two defenders. Going against the momentum of his run, Myers flicked a shot with his right foot, scoring the equalizer.
• 87' – Stepping up to take a free kick from roughly 25 yards out, Upstate's Filippo Censini ripped a shot towards the right post with the Panthers' Holden Trent making his first save of the match to preserve the 1-1 score as regulation wound down.
• 92' – Applying pressure to the Panther defense in the early stages of the first overtime period, Upstate's Julian Fernandez delivered a cross into the center of the box as Torres skied high to get a header on frame as Trent worked to his right for a save near the post.
• 107' – Looking to flip the field on High Point, Upstate used some nifty passing to find itself with a shot at putting the game away, finding Arrocha atop the box. Cutting back to the center of the field, he fired a shot with his left foot toward the left post as Trent was made a diving save, just getting a mitt on the ball to send the shot wide and preserve the deadlock.

 
Notable

• Holding High Point to 11 shots with two shots on goal, USC Upstate held the Panthers to their lowest shot total in Big South Conference play.
• Scoring in the 27^th minute of the match, Javier Torres tallied his third goal of 2021, scoring in back-to-back matches for the first time in his career.

 
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