Eagles hope to get on track in tourney

By Karl Lyles - klyles@heraldonline.com

The Winthrop men's soccer team enters the Big South tournament in High Point, N.C., on a three-game losing skid. Winthrop, the fourth seed, plays No. 5 Gardner-Webb in the first match of the tournament at noon Thursday.

The Eagles were the preseason favorite to win the conference. They were in control of things at 4-0-2 in BSC action until a 4-0 nonconference loss at Elon on Oct. 27.

Winthrop lost 3-0 at Liberty and finished the regular season with a 3-1 loss at home to Coastal Carolina. Coastal won its final game against Radford to clinch the No. 1 seed in the tournament.

“No matter what happens,” Winthrop coach Rich Posipanko said, “these guys have exceeded the expectations we had at the beginning of the year. Hopefully, we can get back on track. This year there are legitimately six teams that could win this thing and we are in the mix.”

Winthrop practiced Tuesday afternoon on the turf fields at Manchester Meadows in the rain. Posipanko said a turf field might be available five miles from High Point's campus if tournament conditions get too sloppy. Panthers sports information officials could not confirm that statement.

Playing at noon, the Eagles will have the best field conditions if they do play on the natural grass of Vert Stadium. A Winthrop win could lead to a rematch with Coastal at 4 p.m. Friday.

“By the time the last game is played, that field could be nothing but mud,” Posipanko warned.

Winthrop and Gardner-Webb played to a 2-2 tie on Oct. 3 in Boiling Springs, N.C. The Eagles played without starting midfielder Matt Lacey and defender Daniel DiBiagio due to injuries. Posipanko was sick and missed the match as well.

Posipanko said High Point has always been a good place for his team to play. The only loss he can remember came in the 2005 tournament championship game.

SOCCER STATS — The Eagles' Michael Luk leads the BSC with nine assists. Winthrop's Matt Skonicki is second in the BSC to Liberty's Darren Amoo in goals scored and points. Skonicki has 11 goals and 29 points this season; Amoo has 13 goals and 30 points.

HIGH-SCORING — Liberty is fourth and Winthrop is ninth nationally in scoring offense. The two teams could meet Sunday in the BSC tournament final.

A GOOD OMEN — The last time Winthrop was seeded lower than third was in 2005, when the tournament was hosted by High Point. The Eagles advanced to the championship game before losing to Coastal Carolina.

GREAT RUN — Kudos to the women's soccer team for advancing to the Big South championship match as the eighth seed. The Lady Eagles (5-10-6) went to penalty kicks in all three games before losing to High Point on Sunday at Charleston's Blackbaud Stadium. Senior Stevie Lucas, junior Katie Perkinson and freshman Kylie Long were named to the all-tournament team for the Lady Eagles.

GOALKEEPER RANKINGS — Sophomore keeper Kelsy Weavil finished the year ranked 49th nationally in save percentage and 64th in goals-against average.

VOLLEYBALL — Winthrop is in third place heading into the final weekend of the regular season. The Lady Eagles play at Gardner-Webb (3-10 BSC) on Friday and at first-place UNC Asheville (12-2) on Saturday. UNC Asheville's Kelsey Benorden was named the Collegiate Volleyball Update National Player of the Week for Nov. 2 through Nov. 8 earlier this week.

The BSC tournament runs Nov. 19-21 at Radford.

LEADING THE WAY — Winthrop's Kelley Taylor leads the Big South in hitting percentage (.366) and setter Kelsey Hall tops the league in assists, averaging 10.37 per game.

A BIG SOUTH REPRIMAND — Radford women's soccer player Amanda Heins was reprimanded by the Big South Conference for violating the league's ethical conduct policy. Heins used an inappropriate gesture toward opposing fans following her team's quarterfinal win in the BSC tournament. She sat out the fist half of the Highlanders' second-round game against eventual tournament champion High Point.