HIGH POINT, N.C. - The United Soccer Coaches announced the national rankings on Tuesday afternoon as High Point University moved up five spots to No. 17. HPU is also No. 5 in the TopDrawerSoccer rankings that were announced on Monday, making it the highest ranking in High Point Athletics history. The Panthers sit at No. 20 in the RPI rankings with two games to play.

With Haines at the helm, HPU was ranked in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024. In the spring of 2021, HPU was ranked in all four national polls and as high as No. 14 in the country in the 2020-21 season. HPU finished the spring of 2021 with a final ranking of No. 23 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Through two seasons, Haines was 25-9-0 overall and had the highest win percentage of any active head coach in DI. Now in 2024, High Point is ranked No. 5 in TopDrawerSoccer and No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll.

Haines has led the 2024 Panthers to a 9-2-2 overall record and a perfect 5-0-0 record in Big South play with two games remaining in the 2024 slate. High Point continues to hold the nations-longest-winning streak at nine games. The back-to-back Big South Coach of the Year set up the 2024 schedule with a few tough matchups with top-ranked opponents throughout the season.

The Panthers took the trip to face No. 14 Virginia Commonweath Univerity in late August and played to a 1-1 draw. HPU then hit the road again to play back-to-back ranked opponents in No. 7 Marshall University in early September as it resulted in a 2-0 loss. On the first of October, HPU upset No. 17 Elon University on its home turf, 1-0, to end an eight-game unbeaten streak at Rudd Field. High Point added to its resume as they just recently upset No. 1 University of Pittsburgh on the road, 1-0, on October 14. In Pittsburgh, Frankie DeFrancesco netted the game winner with an up-and-over header in the 23rd minute, while Alfred Baafi scored the game winner in the 11th minute to secure the victory over No. 17 Elon. 

At Vert Stadium, HPU continues its 17-game unbeaten streak at home while the Panthers have not lost at home in the Big South since 2019. Appearing in five straight Big South finals, Haines and Company are ranked fourth in most Big South titles with three. Nearing the end of the 2024 slate with five games remaining, HPU is looking to make an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time since 2021.