HIGH POINT, N.C. — It has not been the easiest opening four games for the No. 14 High Point University men's soccer team, and the Panthers' schedule will only get more difficult as they embark on a three-game trip.
High Point opens the three-game stretch in Columbia, S.C., to take on No. 13 South Carolina on Monday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. The Panthers will then travel north to Washington, D.C., for a Sweet Sixteen re-match against No. 5 Georgetown on Friday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m., before finishing out the trip at Davidson on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.
"It's really difficult, but but that's why we do it," HPU Head Coach
Zach Haines said. "There's a schedule out there that maybe we could have looked at and been pretty confident that we'd be 6-0, 7-0 to start the season, but it's just never the way we're going to do things. We're going to put ourselves out there."
Despite the challenging opening schedule, which included road matches against No. 11 Virginia and No. 4 Maryland, the Panthers enter the week with a 2-1-1 record. High Point opened the season with a statement 5-2 victory over LIU before earning a decisive 3-2 win against Virginia after an
Aidan Morrison game-winning goal in the 89th minute. The ranked win marked HPU's fourth victory over a ranked opponent since 2024, and a 5-6-4 record against ranked opponents since 2022. The Panthers then fell in a tightly-battled match to Maryland, 1-0, before closing the week with a 1-1 draw against VCU.
"Obviously, we're not satisfied, but to win at UVA, to take care of business against LIU at home before that, and then, obviously, feeling like we had a performance that was worthy of more at Maryland on the road," Haines said, "we're sitting here like, 'Okay, it's a solid start, but we've got plenty that we need to improve on in a hurry.'"
The matchup against No. 13 South Carolina (4-0-0) will mark the fourth meeting between the two programs, with the Gamecocks holding a 3-0 advantage over the Panthers. It will be the first time the two sides have faced off since 2016, when HPU fell to South Carolina on the road, 3-1.
"At South Carolina, you're going to be tested physically," Haines said. "It's going to be a demanding game. And so, it's a great opportunity for us to show that you have to make sure you play every play. You have to make sure that you're switched on for 90 minutes, or you will get punished. I do think we'll get a response out of this group, though. They know what needs to happen."
While the Panthers have not faced the fifth-ranked Gamecocks in nearly a decade, HPU is all too familiar with Georgetown (3-0-1), having faced the Hoyas twice last season.
Last season's first meeting came in the season-opening game at Vert Stadium, where two
Daniel Lugo goals helped propel the Panthers to a 2-1 victory. The teams met again later in the season in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C, with the Hoyas ending High Point's historic season and postseason run with a 2-1 win. Georgetown holds the edge over HPU in the overall series, 1-2-1. The matchup against Georgetown will mark the fourth time the Panthers have faced an opponent ranked No. 13 or higher.
"We're going to put guys in really tough scenarios where a lot is asked of them, and we know that's going to make them stronger for the run in at the end of the season," Haines said, "and that's what we always do. Do I like playing seven out of 10 games on the road in the first half of the season? 'No.' Do I like back-to-back road games? 'No,'" said Haines. "It's the best for the end of the season for the guys in their growth and development."
The Panthers close out their road slate with a matchup against Davidson (0-0-3). Similar to Georgetown, HPU faced Davidson on the road last October, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw. However, HPU leads the overall series, 4-3-4.
Nick Sarantakos, Prosper Adagani and Lugo enter the trip tied for the team lead with two goals apiece, atop the lead in goals with two apiece, while Alfred Baafi and Noah Behrmann have also been key contributors through the opening four matches, each leading the team with three assists. The Panthers have outscored their opponents 9-6, hold a 21-15 advantage in shots on goal and have earned 25 corner kicks compared to their opponents' 19.
With three opponents awaiting the Panthers over an eight-day span, including two ranked in the top-13, HPU will have little time to rest, but for a team that has embraced a challenging schedule from the start, the road trip presents another opportunity for the Panthers to test themselves against some of the nation's best and build on their 2-1-1 start.
#GoHPU
