HIGH POINT, N.C. — Daniel Lugo will remember Thursday night for a long time.
In his debut in Purple & White with his mom watching from the stands, the redshirt sophomore scored his first collegiate goals en route to No. 24 High Point University's season-opening, 2-1, win over No. 14/25 Georgetown in front of over 1,000 fans at Vert Stadium.
"We talk about being ready for moments like these," Lugo said. "Obviously, everyone knows Georgetown is as good as any opponent that you can play so it was an honor to host them on opening day. Those were my first official collegiate goals, so it's a surreal feeling and my mom in the stands makes it even better. It's just awesome to celebrate with the guys. We were fierce, and at the end of the day, it's a well-deserved win for us to start the season and it proves confidence, but at the same time there's a long way to go."
The victory marked the Panthers' first win over the Hoyas in the team's third meeting (1-1-1).
Site: Vert Stadium
Score: No. 24 High Point 2, No. 14/25 Georgetown 1
Records: High Point (1-0), Georgetown (0-1)
Head Coach Zach Haines: "We are here to win big games, and we've been doing it for years now, and that's just the mentality that this group has. They are up for it. They are ready; they are prepared, but they never come out with any kind of inferiority. They not only want to win the game; they want to do it our way in being the aggressor and making sure that we go toe-to-toe like we did at Pitt last year. That's what we've done at Maryland and Carolina. These guys are here because they want to play in those games, and they want to win those games. So, any time we come out to these opportunities, they are not only up for it; they have really high standards and expectations. I love the fact that literally for game one; we are ready for that against a top team. To me, that's the most indicative things of where the season can go."
The Panthers wasted no time to get the new season rolling.
In the second minute,
Chris Niblock executed the play to perfection with a whipped cross that found Lugo in the box for the header and quick 1-0 lead. The duo's connection marked for the first collegiate goal and assist for Lugo and Niblock, respectively.
It was an advantage High Point never lost, defending and limiting the Hoyas to five shots in the first half. The Panthers carried the momentum into halftime and only added onto as the final 45 minutes began.
At the 62-minute mark, it was Niblock finding Lugo again to showcase a bond that has been brewing since the spring. This time, it was a cutback cross that grazed a Hoyas' foot and found Lugo for the high-arching shot to make his first-goal night into his first-ever collegiate brace. Lugo was a perfect 2-for-2 on his shots on goal.
"Chris is such a good guy," Lugo said. "I love playing with him and I know when he gets the ball, I just need to get in the box. I know he's capable of making special things happen with the ball, and I just need to be on the end of it."
Lugo's second goal proved to be the game-winning goal as Georgetown scored with three minutes remaining in a crowded box.
Even then, the Panthers faced 16 shots and defended eight corners, limiting the ranked Hoyas to one late score. HPU goalkeeper
Josh Caron flashed with key stops and saved a new career-high six shots to pick up a ranked win in game one.
UP NEXT: The Panthers hit the road for a three-game road stretch, with the first at ETSU on Monday, August 25 at 6 p.m.
#GoHPU
