The High Point University men's soccer team begins postseason play with the semifinal round of the Big South Tournament on Sunday night against No. 3-seed USC Upstate. The Panthers earned the No. 2 seed after finishing Big South regular season play with a 5-0-3
 
#2 High Point vs. #3 USC Upstate
Sunday, November 6^th | 6:00 PM
Vert Stadium | High Point, N.C.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets | Bracket | Tournament Information
 
2022 Big South Tournament
The Big South Conference announced tournament pairings on Wednesday night at the conclusion of league contests. High Point earned the No. 2 seed behind No. 1-seed Campbell. The Panthers and the Camels will each host their respective semifinals against No. 3-seed USC Upstate and No. 4-seed Presbyterian.
 
Last Time Out
HPU picked up three points to close out the regular season with a 3-0 win over Longwood on Wednesday night. Sebastian Chalbaud put High Point on the board in the seventh minute with his third goal of the season as Cooper Lindfelt was credited with the assist. Freshman Jefferson Amaya notched his first brace as a Panther with goals scored in the 12^th and 89^th minutes of play. The Panther defense did not allow the Lancers to record a shot until the 63^rd minute of action and Holden Trent finished the night with three saves for his sixth shutout of the season.
 
High Point in the Big South Tournament
HPU has appeared in four of the last five tournament championship games since the 2017 season. The Panthers claimed its first and only crown in the 2020-21 spring season, capping off an 8-0 regular season Big South run with a 1-0 win over UNC Asheville in the semifinal before earning its first NCAA College Cup berth with a 3-1 win over USC Upstate in the tournament championship. Last season, HPU battled with Campbell in Buies Creek in the championship but ended up falling, 3-2, to end the season.
 
High Point in the Big South Conference
The Panthers have found themselves in contention for a Big South Championship in each of the past three seasons with head coach Zach Haines. During his time leading High Point, Haines has posted a 24-1-6 (.871) record in conference play, his only loss occurring in his first season in November 2019. In the three seasons prior to Haines' arrival, the Panthers posted a combined 19-2-3 (.854) record in Big South contests. HPU is also the only team to finish in the top-2 for the past six seasons and the only Big South team that boasts a winning record in each of the past 15 seasons.
 
High Point vs. USC Upstate
HPU and Upstate met just a week ago in Spartanburg, playing to a 1-1 draw after Brendan Krueger scored his first goal of the season in the 46^th minute before Upstate rallied to tie the match in the 59^th minute on a ball that grazed a Panther defender to sneak by Holden Trent in goal. High Point is 6-0-3 against the Spartans in its all-time history, but the two programs have finished with 1-1 ties for the last two seasons.
 
About the Spartans
Finishing third in Big South regular season play, Upstate compiled a 4-1-3 record in conference games and finished 6-5-5 overall. As a team, the Spartans averaged 1.44 goals per game and registered 11.2 shots per game. Andrin Zumbuhl led the Spartans with 11 points on four goals and three assists while Jeremy Montero (3G, 3A) and Brody Williams (4G, 1A) each posted nine points. Luca Bulfon played and started all 16 games in goal for the Spartans, making 75 saves (.773 sv%) with a 1.38 goals against average.
 
Dynamic Duo Holds Down Defense
Redshirt senior Holden Trent and junior Finn McRobb have only conceded nine goals in their Big South regular season careers. This season, the two led HPU to a 5-0-3 record in Big South play while allowing four goals on 19 shots on goal.
 
Kendall Named to National Team of the Week
High Point senior defender Karson Kendall was featured on Top Drawer Soccer's National Team of the Week after helping the Panthers to a 2-1 victory over No. 7 Maryland before scoring a goal in HPU's 5-0 shutout of Radford.
 
Four Panthers Make TDS Midseason Top 100
High Point University men's soccer was one of three programs in NCAA Division I, along with Pittsburgh and Maryland, to have four members recognized on Top Drawer Soccer's Midseason Top 100 List. TDS recognizes the Top 100 sophomores, juniors, and seniors in NCAA Division I on the list. Goalkeeper Holden Trent notched the highest ranking for HPU, cracking the top-25 at No. 21. The Greensboro native was also the second-highest ranked goalkeeper. Finn McRobb (64^th), Kaya Ignacio (77^th), and Sebastian Chalbaud (85^th) also made the list.
 
High Point Boasts Two Freshman on TDS Top 100
Jefferson Amaya and Brendan Krueger were both recognized on Top Drawer Soccer's Top 100 Freshmen List earlier this week. Amaya, a midfielder from Huntersville, N.C., was ranked No. 124 by TDS in the Class of 2022 prior to the season and No. 44 overall player on the USL 2 Top-50 Prospect list. Appearing in 13 contest and making 10 starts for the Panthers this season, Amaya was ranked No. 7 on TDS' Top-100 Freshmen list with one goal and three assists. Krueger was a captain of Chargers SC in their MLS Next program prior to his time at HPU. The Clearwater, Fla., native has played in 12 matches for the Panthers and started the last nine. He's tallied four assists on the season, two against Radford before adding another at No. 7 Maryland, and was ranked as TDS' Midseason No. 54 Freshman.
 
Amaya Recognized on College Soccer News Team of the Week
Freshman Jefferson Amaya was named to College Soccer News' National Team of the Week on Monday evening (October 17^th). The Panther midfielder scored the game-winning goal at Big South-rival Campbell on Wednesday, October 12^th. Taking a shot off a free kick in the 86^th minute, Amaya successfully evaded the Camel's three-man wall and goalkeeper, putting the ball in the bottom right corner of the net and giving HPU the 1-0 victory.
 
Trent Adds Another Defensive Player of the Week Award to Collection
Goalkeeper Holden Trent was named the Big South Defensive Player of the Week on Monday afternoon (October 24^th). It is the fourth time Trent has been named the conference's defensive player of the week this season. Trent notched a shutout against UNC Asheville with one save while tallying three saves in HPU's 2-1 win over No. 7 Maryland last Monday night.
 
Trent, Amaya Pick Up Weekly Awards from Big South
Senior goalkeeper Holden Trent picked up his third Defensive Player of the Week award of the season from the Big South Conference office on Monday afternoon (October 17^th) while freshman midfielder Jefferson Amaya earned his first Freshman of the Week honor. Trent recorded his fourth shutout of the season and third-straight in regular season play against the Camels at Campbell on Wednesday, October 12^th, while also tallying one save in the 1-0 win. Amaya scored the game-winning goal off of a set piece in the 86^th minute, giving HPU three crucial points in the conference standings.
 
Trent Named to TDS Team of the Week
Senior goalkeeper Holden Trent added another weekly award as he was recognized on Top Drawer Soccer's National Team of the Week (October 4th). Trent posted a shutout at Elon in a 0-0 draw before helping HPU to a 5-1 win over Radford with four saves.
 
Holmes Repeats, Trent Joins Player of the Week Honors
Noah Holmes repeated as the Big South's Offensive Player of the Week while Holden Trent was named the Defensive Player of the Week on Monday afternoon (October 3^rd). Holmes recorded his second brace in three matches in a 5-1 win over Radford while Trent made seven saves on the week while posting a shutout in a 0-0 draw with Elon, who was receiving votes in the latest top-25 poll.
 
Flurry of Goals Pushes Panthers Past Highlanders
High Point recorded five goals on Saturday night against Radford. Goal scorers for HPU were Noah Holmes (2), Karson Kendall, Larson Rula, and Sebastian Chalbaud. Kendall, Rula, and Chalbaud recorded their first goals of the season while Kendall and Rula tallied the first of their respective careers. In its three conference games played, HPU has scored 10 total goals. Freshmen Brendan Krueger and Aidan Abril were both credited with two assists apiece.
 
High Point, Haines Agree to Contract Extension
High Point University Vice President and Athletic Director Dan Hauser has announced a five-year contract extension for men's soccer head coach Zach Haines on September 30th. Haines has compiled a 36-18-6 overall record in his time at the helm for HPU.
 
Holmes, McRobb Earn Player of the Week Nods
Panther forward Noah Holmes was named the Big South Co-Offensive Player of the Week for this first time this season while Finn McRobb picked up his second Defensive Player of the Week honor in as many weeks. Holmes recorded a brace at Winthrop while McRobb anchored the HPU back line with 86 minutes of action and one shot.
 
McRobb Named Big South Defensive Player of the Week
Junior Finn McRobb was named the conference's defensive player of the week on Monday, September 19^th. McRobb scored the game-tying goal in the 48^th minute of action against Gardner-Webb on Friday night (September 16). He also played all 90 minutes of the contest to earn his first Big South weekly award of his career.
 
Pineda, Trent Earn First Weekly Awards
Forward Tony Pineda and goalkeeper Holden Trent were named the Big South's Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, on August 29^th. Pineda scored the game-winning goal over Davidson and the game-tying goal at Georgetown while Trent tallied six saves on the week.
 
Pineda Placed on TDS Team of the Week
Top Drawer Soccer released its Team of the Week following its first week of regular season play. High Point senior forward Tony Pineda was among the 11 players on the team after scoring two goals in the opening week of play.
 
Trent Named Preseason Keeper of the Year
Holden Trent was voted the Big South's Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year after finishing last season with the league's best save percentage (.736). Trent allowed just 19 goals while recording 53 saves.
 
Panthers Tabbed Second in Preseason Poll
HPU was picked second in the Big South Preseason Coaches' poll behind 2021 tournament champion, Campbell. The Panthers received one first place vote in the poll behind the Camels' eight.