HIGH POINT, N.C.— No. 14 High Point University men's soccer preps for its final test before the postseason, facing Big South foe Presbyterian on the road this Halloween Wednesday, at 7 p.m.

The Panthers are riding high after officially clinching a second straight Big South regular season title over the weekend, coming back from a one-goal deficit to beat Radford 2-1 on Saturday night. This year's club is the first in HPU Division I history to go back-to-back, sitting one victory shy of the Panthers' highest-ever winning percentage for a season, since coming to D1 in 1999. HPU came in as high as 14th in this week's 'TopDrawer Soccer' poll, while cracking the United Soccer Coaches poll for the first time this year, at No. 25. The Panthers' 22nd ranking in the NCAA RPI is a full 81 spots ahead of the number two team in the Big South (Radford), and 149 spots in front of Presbyterian.

The Blue Hose are currently on a three-game winning streak, garnering a trio of three straight 2-0 wins over Gardner-Webb, App State and Longwood. Presbyterian has already clinched a spot in the postseason this year, currently sitting behind the Panthers at 5-2-0 in Big South play. PC can finish no lower than fourth in this year's regular season standings, but will be fighting for a No. 2 seed, and a buy round, with a win over High Point this Wednesday. 
 
No. 14 High Point (12-2-1, 6-0-1) at Presbyterian (6-10-0, 5-2-0)
When: Wednesday, October 31, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Clinton, S.C. | Martin Stadium
All-Time Series: High Point leads 8-4-3
Last Meeting: Loss 0-0 (4-3 PK), on Nov. 12, 2017 in High Point, N.C.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

On the Panthers
• The Panthers have already secured 12 wins this season, heading into the final match of the season. With a win over the Blue Hose, this year's club will have the highest winning percentage and the second-most regular season wins of any Division I High Point squad
• HPU currently ranks 28th in scoring offense for all of D1 men's soccer, averaging 1.93 goals per match in 2018
• Ilias Kosmidis' 10 goals and 23 points rank 29th and 34th in the nation respectively, and first in the Big South for both categories. He has not gone consecutive games without a point all season
• Forward/midfielder Tony Pineda is one of two favorites for Big South Freshman of the Year, tied with Radford's Amadou Diop for the second-most points in the conference (17)
• Junior goalkeeper Keegan Meyer leads the Big South with a 1.02 goals against average and five clean sheets, while ranking third in the conference in save percentage (.742)
• With a win over Presbyterian to end the season, this year's graduating class will retire with the most Big South victories in program history (22), while the team will be the first Panthers' squad to go undefeated in conference play since 2010
 
On the Blue Hose
• The Blue Hose take more shots on net than any other team in the conference, their 6.75 shots on goal per match rank 15th in all of Division I men's soccer
• Presbyterian's poor season record may be deceiving, with PC facing three ACC schools on their schedule, along with four top-25 opponents and four squads from 2017's Men's College Soccer Championship Tournament
• Sophomore forward Jordan Barbara leads the Blue Hose with 11 points, despite missing four matches this season, he is currently on a two-match scoring streak and a three-match point streak
 
Series Notes:
• The Panthers have never lost to Presbyterian in regulation since joining Division I, all of their losses to the Blue Hose have come in overtime or on PKs
• HPU lost to the Blue Hose in penalties during the pair's previous meeting in the 2017 Big South tournament final
• High Point has not lost in Clinton, S.C. since joining D1, they are 4-0-1 at Presbyterian since 1999
 
Coming Up Next:
• As the top seed in the conference the No. 14 Panthers have a full week off after concluding their regular season, hosting a Big South semifinal matchup next Wednesday, November 7th at 7 p.m.
• HPU will play the winner of a quarterfinal match between the No. 4 seed and the No. 5 seed of the Big South tournament. Radford and USC Upstate currently sit at fourth and fifth respectively, with Campbell, Gardner-Webb and Presbyterian all possibilities as well. The Panthers are 3-0-1 against those teams, outscoring the lot 8-3 going head to head. 

#GoHPU