HIGH POINT, N.C.— High Point University men's soccer attempts to start the conference season a perfect 5-0-0 this Saturday, hosting visiting Longwood during this year's homecoming match at 2 p.m.

The last time the Panthers started their Big South schedule with five straight wins was back in 2010, when the club went a perfect 8-0-0 in conference play. HPU lost just four of its 21 games played that year, ending its season on a 3-1 loss to Coastal Carolina in the Big South conference tournament final. This year's club is off to its second-best start in Division I program history, with its 9-1-0 record trailing the 9-0-1 record it began with in 2012. With two more wins in the coming week, High Point would not only extend its victory streak to seven consecutive but would on its way toward the most successful record in its D1 history. 

Longwood enters Saturday's match on a three-game losing skid, most recently falling to former Big South member Liberty by a final of 5-0. The Lancers were routed 5-1 by a UNCG squad that lost to High Point 3-2 earlier this year, but dropped UNC Asheville 4-2 in conference play. Longwood's victory over the Bulldogs is the only its had in nearly a month, as the club looks to improve on the .550 record its collected in conference play this season.
 
High Point (9-1-0, 4-0-0) vs Longwood (3-7-0, 1-1-0)
When: Saturday, October 6, at 2:00 p.m.
Where: High Point, N.C. | Vert Stadium
All-Time Series: High Point leads 9-6-2
Last Meeting: Win 1-0, on Nov. 1, 2017 in Farmville, Va.
Watch: ESPN+ 
Live Stats: SideArm

PROMOTIONS>> In recognition of homecoming, the first 100 fans in attendance of High Point University's match against Longwood will receive a free long sleeve homecoming shirt, while the first 50 Panther alumni in attendance will receive a free cup.

Spectators choosing to stay afterword for the women's 7 p.m. kickoff are invited to stay for the conclusion of the evening match, for free fireworks.

On the Panthers
• The Panthers are currently on a five-game winning streak, while their 9-1-0 record is their best start to a D1 season since going 9-0-1 to start the 2012 campaign
• Freshman Tony Pineda scored his third goal of the year on a double-overtime winner against UNC Asheville, he's tied for second in the Big South among freshman goal scorers
• HPU has scored in all 10 of its matches this year, accruing a total of 21 goals in 2018. With six regular season games remaining, the Panthers are just five away from matching last year's total
• Asheville's goal against the Panthers in the 29th minute this past Wednesday put an end to HPU's streak of 315 consecutive shutout minutes. High Point's goals against average still sits at just 0.87 on the season, the top mark in the Big South
• Midfielder Ryan Inman recorded a career-high of three points against the Bulldogs on Wednesday, after scoring his first goal of the season late in the second half. The junior has collected five points in his last four appearances, all of which have come off of set pieces
• Only three teams in all of Division I soccer have more wins than the Panthers this season, while HPU's nine game road winning streak is tied with No. 1 Wake Forest for the longest in the country
 
On the Lancers
• Longwood forward Mikel Abando sits in a tie for third in the Big South, posting a team-high of four goals on the year
• Opponents have outscored the Lancers 30-16 on the year, tallying a total of two goals in their previous three contests against Liberty, Radford and George Mason
• Longwood has used a combination of two goalkeepers over the course of the season, with sophomore Jacob Reimers leading the Lancers in both minutes (566:31) and saves (24)
 
Series Notes:
• HPU has not lost a regular season game to Longwood since 2011, holding a 9-6-2 advantage over the Lancers all-time
• The Panthers' lone loss to the Lancers over the past six years came in a 1-0 decision in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Big South Championship tournament
• High Point has outscored Longwood 6-2 in the pair's previous four meetings, shutting out the Lancers 1-0 in last year's meeting in Farmville, Va.
 
Coming Up Next:
• The Panthers set out to face off with the No. 1 team in the country this coming Tuesday, competing with Wake Forest in Winston-Salem at 7 p.m.
• HPU is 2-7-2 against the Demon Deacons all-time, but took the club to the brink last season, falling 1-0 in double overtime

#GoHPU