HIGH POINT, N.C.— After a shutout win over visiting Appalachian State, High Point University men's soccer gets back to Big South play this coming Saturday, traveling to Rock Hill, S.C. for a meeting with Winthrop at 7 p.m.

The Panthers are riding high into the weekend, boasting a three-game winning streak and a perfect 2-0 record in conference play. High Point's 7-1 record earned the side a No. 29 ranking in the most recent 'College Soccer News' top-30 poll, while simultaneously receiving nine votes in this week's United Soccer Coaches Poll and a No. 57 ranking in the first NCAA Men's Soccer RPI of 2018. The Panthers are one of the most offensively productive teams in the country, with their 2.25 goals per game tying for 13th in Division I. High Point has been no slouch on the defensive side of the field either, holding onto a streak of 197 consecutive minutes without a goal against.

Winthrop has had a tough go of things in the previous weeks, entering Saturday's contest on a five-game losing streak. The Eagles have scored a total of 11 goals over the span of six games, with six of those tallies coming against Division II Georgia Southwestern. Winthrop has won just three Big South games over the last two-plus years, but hopes to return to the conference tournament for the first time since 2015 after being selected sixth in this year's Big South Preseason poll.
 
High Point (7-1-0) at Winthrop (1-5-0)
When: Saturday, September 29, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Rock Hill, S.C. | Eagle Field
All-Time Series: Winthrop leads 15-8-3
Last Meeting: Win 4-0, on Oct. 14, 2017 in High Point, N.C.
Live Stats: SideArm

On the Panthers
• The Panthers came in at No. 29 in the most recent 'College Soccer News' top-30, while receiving nine votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and earning a rank of 57 in the first NCAA Men's Soccer RPI of 2018
• High Point is off to their second-best start in Division I program history, winning seven of their first eight competitions. The club's 9-0 start to 2012 is the only record that betters the team's current run since joining the Big South in 1999
• HPU is currently on a three-game winning streak with back-to-back shutouts of Appalachian State and Gardner-Webb. The Panthers have not been scored on in 197 minutes of consecutive play
• Junior forward Ilias Kosmidis provided his second multi-goal performance of 2018 in a 2-0 shutout win over App State, his seven goals on the year are three more than any other player in the Big South and are tied for 13th in all of Division I men's soccer
• Kosmidis (16) and HPU striker Siggi Benonysson (11) rank first and second in the Big South concerning overall points respectively
• Starting goalkeeper Keegan Meyer's clean sheet against App State is his third of the season, and the 16th of his three-year career. He is five shutouts away from the personal best he set the previous season, while his 0.98 GAA on the year is the top mark in the conference
 
On the Eagles
• Winthrop is currently on a five-game losing streak, dropping its conference-opener against Upstate 4-3. The club had been outscored 8-2 in the four games prior
• Despite their lack of goals, the Eagles are one of the more accurate shooting teams in the conference, as their .508 shooting percentage is first in the Big South and ranks 18th in all of Division I men's soccer
• Midfielder Leif Leon Estevez Fernandez is perhaps the Eagles' biggest offensive threat. With a pair of goals, three assists and seven points, Fernandez is tied for a team-lead in all three categories despite starting just five of six competitions in 2018
 
Series Notes:
• The Panthers have not lost to Winthrop in regulation since 2013, with their only losing decision against the Eagles in the past five years coming on penalties in the 2015 Big South Championship final
• Winthrop currently leads the all-time series against HPU at 15-8-3, however are just 1-6-3 against the Panthers since 2010
• There have been three World Cups since the last time High Point lost a game in Rock Hill S.C. (9/27/06)
 
Coming Up Next:
• The Panthers roll into October next week, hosting UNC Asheville at 7 p.m. this coming Wednesday
• HPU holds a severe historical advantage against the Bulldogs, with an all-time record of 21-6-2 against UNCA

#GoHPU