Site: High Point, N.C. (Vert Stadium)
Score: High Point 3, USC Upstate 2
Records: HPU 12-6-0 (7-1 Big South, USCU 5-12-0 (1-7 Big South)
Next HPU Event: Wednesday, Nov. 13 -- vs No. 6 Radford or No. 3 Gardner Webb (Vert Stadium), 7 p.m.
 
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The High Point University men's soccer team earned a come-from-behind win over USC Upstate, 3-2, on Wednesday evening to close out the regular season schedule. Seniors Ilias Kosmidis and Ryan Inman both found the back of the net in the second half to secure the comeback and the Panthers 12th win of the season. The Panthers are the only team in the Big South to have won 12 games or more in the last two seasons.

"We are happy with the win, we were fantastic in the first half" Head coach Zach Haines said. "I think it was probably the best half we have had all season long with the ball. We were just being clean, using it well, two touch quick tempo, passing we created chances and were being positive and productive with our play . We did not take our chances, the goalkeeper came up huge for them, probably should have been 2,3,4 for us in the first 30-35 minutes and we left the door open to an Upstate team that kept fighting and stayed in the game. They found a finish on one of their first shots on goal of the game, they took a chance and we found ourselves tied at the half. I think we all felt a little bit frustrated not to be up by a few goals at the half. You have to take what the game gives you and we came out in the second half we didn't have a great start to the half and Upstate did they put us under some pressure, they turned us over, they had some counter attacks and they got the reward with the goal. We responded with some resilience and we were able to score two goals and get the win but we have to play better and we know that. If we are going to make a run in the tournament we have to improve and we have to learn from tonight."
 
Senior Josh Baker tallied his first goal of the season six minutes into the contest to give the Panthers an early 1-0 lead. This is Baker's first goal since becoming a Panther back in 2018. Baker fired a shot from a ways out and nailed it to put HPU up early. The goal came as a great delight not just for the team but for Josh as well. "It's a great moment for Josh because he is someone who does all the right things on and off the field. He is a leader who cares deeply about this program, he givers everything to the program, every time he steps on the field he puts in the work. So for him to go get a goal and it was  a fantastic goal from distance, he absolutely deserves that as much as anyone because of the work he puts in. Tonight was a special moment for him and I know he did in front of his parents who came over from England, I'm thrilled for the kid."

The hosts advantage would hold until the 39th minute when the Spartans evened it at one apiece that would hold going into halftime. 
 
USC Upstate took its first lead of the evening at the 62:43 mark, before Kosmidis responded less than two minutes later for his team-leading sixth goal of the season. Kosmidis goal came off of a corner kick. The ball was knocked loose after it was first sent into the box, Siggi Benonysson was able to settle it and then set Ilias up with the no-look assist and Kosmidis was able to bury it with the toe poke finish.
 
Eight minutes later it would be Inman's turn for the eventual game-winner. It is his third of the season, which is a career high. Inman's goal put HPU up 3-2. 
 
Redshirt senior Keegan Meyer made two stops - all in the second half - earning his 12th win of the season.
 
HPU secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Big South Conference Tournament. The Panthers will host the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between No. 3 Gardner-Webb and No. 6 Radford. The semifinal matchup will be on Wednesday, Nov. 13 in High Point at 7 p.m. This will be the fourth year in a row the Panthers will host a Big South Tournament contest at Vert Stadium.