Kicking and Screaming: Campbell and High Point Win Weekly Awards

Campbell University. Arguably the most dominant soccer program in the Big South (for both women’s and men’s soccer).

High Point University. Arguably the most dominant soccer program in the Big South (for both women’s and men’s soccer).

With dominance typically comes success on the field. That is exactly what both Campbell and High Point are doing on the field this year. Campbell University’s women’s soccer team is 8-3-2 on the year (4-1-1 in conference), while High Point’s is 7-6-1 (6-0-1 in conference). Campbell University’s men’s soccer team is 10-2-1 on the year (4-0-0 in conference), while High Point’s is 7-5 (3-0 in conference).

This past week, Campbell University’s women’s soccer team shut out Charleston Southern by a score of 3-0. For her efforts in that game, Camels senior forward Alexa Genas won Big South Women’s Soccer Attacking Player of the Week. Genas opened the match with a 29th minute goal (penalty kick), assisted on the Camels’ 61st-minute goal, and closed out the match with a 66th-minute goal, which gave the Camels a 3-0 lead for good.

Campbell’s biggest in-state rival, High Point University, won two Big South Weekly Awards. On the attack, freshman midfielder/forward Emma Schossler won Freshman of the Week for her performance against Radford (3-0 victory). Against the Highlanders, Schossler scored two goals: one in the 44th minute to close out the first half, and one in the 49th minute to open the second half. On the defense, senior goalie Talia Klimes won Big South Defensive Player of the Week for her performance against Gardner-Webb and Radford. At the Runnin’ Bulldogs, Klimes recorded five saves in a 1-0 double-overtime win. Against the Highlanders, Klimes tacked on four more saves.

In men’s soccer, Campbell took home two awards for North Carolina-based conference schools. Camels junior forward/midfielder Thibaut Jacquel won Big South Men’s Soccer Attacking Player of the Week, while Camels junior defender Dylan Sadler won Defensive Player of the Week. In wins against Winthrop and Presbyterian (3-1, 6-2 respectively), Jacquel totaled four goals and two assists. At Winthrop, Jacquel tied the game at one with a 65th minute header, and at Presbyterian, Jacquel recorded a hat trick and two assists. Against Winthrop, Sadler added a goal and an assist, while only limiting the Eagles to one shot on goal, while against Presbyterian, Sadler helped limit the Blue Hose to just four shots on goal.

Another impressive week in Big South soccer. As the conference tournaments are right around the corner, both Campbell and High Point are looking to keep their hot streaks going. And who knows, maybe both teams will meet up in their conference tournaments?