HIGH POINT, N.C. - After going 2-0 in preseason play, High Point University men's soccer gets its first taste of regular season action this Friday, opening up the campaign at home against the Tribe of William & Mary. The Panthers are on the search for their third straight Big South regular season title in 2019, after the program made its first ever appearance in the NCAA Championship Tournament the previous year.

WHAT TO KNOW
Who: William & Mary
Where: High Point, N.C. | Vert Stadium
When: Saturday August 30th | 7 PM
Tickets | Watch | Live Stats

MATCHUP HISTORY
• High Point has faced off with William & Mary just three times in its program history and just twice in the past 18 years, despite the Tribe holding a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series, HPU won the pair's last meeting in 2012, 1-0
• Current Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC winger Shane Malcolm scored the lone goal of the match in that previous contest, with Columbus Crew draft pick Shawn Sloan providing the helper

THE PANTHERS
• Sporting a goal differential of plus-five in the preseason, the Panthers went perfect in their exhibition matches against Georgia Southern and Queens University, winning by respective scores of 2-0 and 4-1
• Sophomore Alex Abril scored three goals off the bench for HPU in the preseason, including a brace against Georgia Southern
• Senior forward Ilias Kosmidis had his own multi-goal performance with a pair of finishes against Queens, while teammate Jordan Lonchar secured a goal and an assist in that match
• The Panthers were selected as conference favorites in the Big South Preseason Coaches Poll for a second straight time this season, as the club returns seven regular starters from the previous campaign, along with 2018 co-Attacking Player of the Year Ilias Kosmidis

THE TRIBE
• William & Mary was picked to finish fourth in this year's CAA Preseason Poll, after claiming fifth in the conference the previous year (6-10-2, 3-3-2)
• The Tribe return six of their regular starting XI from the previous season, including leading point producer Antonio Bustamante (15)

FOOTNOTE
• New Panthers' Head Coach Zach Haines is more than familiar with playing William & Mary, after spending six years on UNCW's staff from 2012-17. The Seahawks posted a 4-2-2 record against the Tribe during Haines' tenure in Wilmington, with those two losses occurring at neutral site locations in the postseason

#GoHPU