The High Point University men's soccer team will play #8 Georgetown in the Second Round of the 2020 NCAA Men's Soccer on Sunday, May 2nd at the Sportsplex at Matthews. Kickoff will be at noon with the game being streamed on YouTube. HPU was selected to bypass the first round and was paired up with the Hoyas in a second-round matchup, this is the second NCAA tournament appearance for High Point. The entirety of the 2020 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament will be held in the state of North Carolina, the Panthers' second-round matchup will be held in a venue familiar to HPU's senior captain Mason Marcey who is a Charlotte native. HPU is led in scoring by the Big South Offensive Player MD Myers who is second in the country with 14 goals in all of Division I. HPU boasts top five Scoring Offense (1st) & Top 10 Defense (8th) in the Country.
TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS
Who: VS #8 Georgetown
When: May 2nd
Where: Sportsplex at Matthews (2425 Sports Pkwy, Matthews, NC 28105)
Live Stats: https://www.ncaa.com/game/5823183
How to Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkfgYIjlsz4
Tickets: Available at the gate
Matchup History
This will be the first meeting between High Point and Georgetown.
How We Got Here
Georgetown's Path
The Hoyas went 8-1-2 on the season, playing only Big East games this year. Georgetown fell in the Big East final to Seton Hall 2-1. The Hoyas received an At-Large bid into this year's NCAA Tournament as the #8 team in the bracket. The Hoyas are ranked #2 in the country in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Georgetown is led in scoring by Dante Polvara who has seven goals this season.
High Point's Path
High Point men's soccer won their first Big South Tournament Championship in program history, defeating USC Upstate, 3-1. The Panthers won the Big South Regular Season and Tournament to capture their first-ever Big South double. High Point will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament making its second NCAA Tournament appearance. High Point was undefeated at home this season. Nick Phipps, Mason Marcey, Lalas Ayertey, and MD Myers were selected to the Big South All-Tournament Team. Phipps was also awarded MVP honors.
Panther Notes
Win, Win, Win, Win
The Panthers have the longest winning streak in the country with 9 straight wins, the next closest is 6.
Carolina's Panthers
HPU has nine players and coaches from right here in North Carolina on its roster. That's the second-most in the NCAA tournament.
Built Different
High Point has a +31 Goal Differential which is best in the country, and 9 goals better than 2nd place Indiana.
High Point Nationally Impactful
High Point enters the tournament boasting the number one scoring offense in the country averaging 2.92 goals per game. HPU is tied for the most goals scored in the nation this season with Pitt, both teams of Panthers have scored 38 goals this season. HPU leads the nation in goal differential with a difference of 31 goals this season. The Panthers have shared the ball well this season as they are fourth in the nation in assists with 3.08 assists per game. High Point is eighth in goals-against average having only allowed seven goals this season. The Panthers GAA is an outstanding .538.
Mason on the SportsPlex at Matthews
Charlotte native Mason Marcey had this to say about playing at the Sportsplex at Matthews. "I have played a lot of club games with Charlotte Soccer Academy at the Sportsplex in Matthews and then I trained with the Charlotte Independence, the USL team, and they were at the Sportsplex as well. It's a great complex, I am excited to be able to go back home and play there. I'm sure my family and friends will all be out there so it will be a great opportunity."
Panthers in the Polls
After winning the Big South title the Panthers are headed to the NCAA Tournament and the polls reflect and rewarded this outstanding achievement this week. High Point is #14 in the Top-Drawer Soccer National Media Poll, 21st in the College Soccer News poll, and 22nd in the NCAA recognized United Soccer Coaches Poll. HPU is 15th in the NCAA RPI this week as well however the RPI was not taken into consideration for tournament selection for the 2020-21 season.
#GoHPU
