HIGH POINT, N.C. — When adversity hits, most give up and are unable to push forward.
However, most aren't High Point University's
Noah Behrmann.
The 2021 High School All-American and ENCL National Champion overcame four season-ending injuries — a fractured metatarsal, broken fibula, and two torn ACLs — during his two seasons at Clemson University before transferring to High Point in the spring of 2025.
"It was a lot of hard things, but on the other side of it," Behrmann said, "I'm genuinely so grateful and thankful it all happened because of my new perspective on life, on soccer, and the team as a whole. It's honestly just been amazing at High Point. I'm so blessed and don't have the words to explain how thankful I am to be honest. It was a hard road, but I'm glad I got here."
Behrmann was an early Clemson commit, following the footsteps of his father Chris who played for the Tigers from 1993-96, but the prodigy was never able to get healthy enough to touch the pitch.
He helped lead and support teammates from the bench en route to the Tigers' 2023 ACC and National Championship and now is a vital piece to the High Point men's soccer team's quest to earning more trophies after winning two Big South Conference championships this season.
On Sunday night, Behrmann and the 10th-seeded Panthers begin NCAA Tournament play for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen against West Virginia at 7:30 p.m. It'll be a rematch from earlier this season when the two ranked teams faced off and played to a 2-2 draw on Sept. 23. It's the fifth NCAA Tournament appearance for the Panthers as they look for the school's first second round win ever in the program's second time hosting.
"Noah and his story, you could write a book on it in 10 years," HPU Head Coach
Zach Haines said. "It's that good. He goes to Clemson as big recruit coming out of North Carolina. We wanted him and wanted to bring him and Jefferson [Amaya] in together from the same club. His dad played at Clemson, and he was an early Clemson commit. Fair enough, and he had a run of adversity that would have ended 99 percent of careers and was out injured for a better part of 2 and a half to 3 years. He's that type of kid that you bet on him as a person. We did, and he's completely repaid that in kind and more because he is playing at a ridiculously high level. And to think that guy didn't play soccer for three years and had two torn ACLs, a fractured metatarsal and fibula, is beyond belief and it's all a credit to him the person he is and the player he is."
The rocky road finally led to High Point and has paid dividends for the uber talented Behrmann, who has started eight of 13 appearances, and logged his first collegiate minutes on Sept. 14 versus Central Arkansas and earned his first start a game later against Presbyterian. The redshirt sophomore on the pitch and senior in the classroom scored his first collegiate goal in the Big South Championship while being named to the Big South All-Tournament team.
He did it all alongside his brother,
Ryan Behrmann, who transferred to High Point from Army West Point just before this 2025 season began. The younger Behrmann decided a change was needed after playing 12 games with Army, and it just so happened that a last-minute roster spot opened at High Point.
After talks with the HPU coaches and going through the onboarding process while getting waivers approved, the way cleared for Ryan to join his brother in High Point just before classes began in August.
"Being here now with him has just been a blessing; it's been amazing," Ryan said. "We are best friends so it's truly a blessing to be here. Thank you to God that I'm here. He's always been pushing me. That's why I'm here today and am the player I am today because of him. He's always pushing me to be the best. Our parents watching us play together has been a dream come true."
It's a dream that the Behrmann Brothers, who are two years a part, have imagined but never thought would happen. But, it has and is reality as injuries, different colleges and roads have brought the two brothers back together at High Point University.
"We were both in situations, similar and different, where we needed something to go our way and High Point gave us a chance," Noah said. "We owe so much to them, genuinely, and I'll be forever grateful for this place. I get to play with Ryan and it's a dream come true. I don't think many people get to say the same thing about getting to play with their brother at a DI level. Everything about it is surreal."
#GoHPU
