The Charleston Southern Lady Bucs overcame a seesaw match with a tough High Point team Wednesday, winning 3-2 behind Emma Mattsson's (Helsingborg, Sweden) fourth game-winning goal on the season.

The early going would be a bit frightening for the Bucs on this Halloween, as the majority of play in the game's first few minutes would be spent in and around the High Point offensive zone. The Buccaneer defense held, however, largely due to the presence of Caitlin Wesnesky (Piscataway, N.J.) who made an immediate impact in her first career start and first career appearance at Buccaneer Field. Wesnesky would prove to be tireless in midfield on this day, contesting every 50/50 ball and using her impressive height to win many headers.

Play would reverse to the other side of the field in the 18th minute, as Wesnesky's high school teammate Jen Vroman (Piscataway, N.J.) pestered the High Point defense with a strong run. A last-ditch tackle brought down CSU's assist leader in the box, and with no hesitation, the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty kick. Vroman stepped forward to take the kick, but her effort to the far post was denied by Panther goalkeeper Marissa Abbot, who guessed correctly with her diving save.

After a few more High Point threats, including Jena Uvalle (Mt. Dora, Fla.) saving Beckie Lesh's effort in the 24th, the Bucs would get the day's first goal. Jessica Kim (Austin, Tex.) supplied an excellent ball from the back that landed just ahead of leading goal-scorer Michelle Dennis (Ann Arbor, Mich.). Dennis used her unrivaled speed to race to and latch on to the ball, and, after beating her final defender, the Michigander picked up her 10th goal on the year by finishing into the near net.

An unfortunate habit of the Lady Bucs lately has been the penchant to concede goals just moments after scoring, and the habit would rear its ugly head on this afternoon once again. Just one minute and nine seconds after the Bucs had taken the lead, the team found itself tied again when an Amy Anzovino cross found Beckie Lesh, who spun past her defenders and finished into the near net. With the goal, Lesh takes over the season lead in goals for HPU, with five.

After a physical end to the first half, the second half opened to fireworks on both ends. The first highlight belonged to Marky Boyce (Woodbridge, Va.) in the 52nd minute. The Virginian midfield ace gathered a cross from Mattsson in the middle of the box with her chest, then raced to control the ball with her feet before it could be cleared by the onrushing High Point defenders. With the ball controlled, Boyce picked the perfect spot in the near net to slide the ball past Abbot and return CSU to the lead.

The lead would last longer this time, but only four minutes longer, as in the 57th High Point equalized once more. This time, however, there was little that the Bucs could do to stop the goal, as Courtney Spotts unleashed a tough shot from 30 yards out that had eyes for the upper net. Uvalle made a leaping attempt but had no chance as the ball flew over her outstretched hands, providing Spotts with an impressive first goal of 2007.

The goal seemed to re-awaken the High Point offense, as the Panthers would control the play for the better part of the next twenty minutes. High Point had a remarkable eight corner kicks in this stretch, yet could muster no shots on net. Strong last-ditch defending from Wesnesky, Kim, who headed a dangerous cross away near the net, and Brittany Bolick (Boone, N.C.), who always seemed to make the intervention necessary to clear the ball to safety, cut down these HPU opportunities.

The Panthers were made to pay for not scoring in this stretch, as the Bucs converted a counter attack off the last failed HPU corner kick into pay-dirt. This time, Boyce re-paid Mattsson for supplying her earlier goal by supplying one for the junior, as the Virginian midfielder sent a ball to the far side of the field in the direction of Mattsson. Sensing an opportunity for another clutch goal, Mattsson surged past her defenders to catch up to the ball, then went around a prone Abbott before finishing effortlessly into the net for her ninth 2007 tally.

Mattsson now has four game-winners on the year and has scored the winning tally in each one of CSU's last three Big South wins, over UNC-Asheville, Coastal Carolina and High Point.

The Bucs did have a little more work to do to ensure that Mattsson's goal would prove the winner, but Emily Danchak (Woodbridge, Va.) cut down a potential High Point attack in the 83rd and Uvalle did well to corral a cross with a diving stop in the 88th. These plays and some time killing by the CSU offense would be enough to quell the Panthers and provide the Bucs with their fourth conference victory on the year.

The win moves the Bucs into a tie with High Point for second place in the Big South at 4-2, with Winthrop or Radford possibly joining the tie pending the outcome of their head-to-head game tonight. The win also keeps alive the Bucs' outside shot at the #1 seed in the conference tournament. First things first for the Bucs, however, is a matchup with VMI in their final regular season game, a 6 P.M. Saturday encounter that will take place at Blackbaud Stadium.