High Point Draws North Carolina in First Round of NCAA Tournament
By High Point Athletics
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men's soccer team is set to play North Carolina in the first round on the NCAA Tournament in Chapel Hill as announced during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Monday afternoon (November 14). The Panthers claimed their second Big South Championship with a 2-0 shutout at Campbell on Saturday night to earn the automatic bid. Kickoff on Thursday is set for 12:00 PM.
"I think it's a great draw. We're an hour away from our first round game, we know the opponent, we're very familiar with them, and I think our guys are very excited," said head coach Zach Haines. "Their reaction said it all, this is a game they'll be excited about. I think you see a lot of the teams that were selected today are going on the road out of state and playing maybe some unknown opponents to them. But it's a North Carolina school so there's a lot of familiarity, but that also brings a level of excitement too. Our guys are going to want to prove that they're a top program in this state."
Haines and senior goalkeeper Holden Trent stated the importance of their strength of schedule leading into the matchup as well. For its second game of the season, HPU went on the road to then-No. 2 Georgetown and came home with a 1-1 draw after trailing 1-0 at the end of the first half. High Point also stunned No. 7 Maryland a month ago in College Park as the Panthers picked up a 2-1 win after again trailing 1-0 at the half.
"They know what it's like to go on the road into really good environments with top programs and storied programs, and they know how to get results. It will not be something that is an unknown feeling to them or anything that I think they'll be overwhelmed by, I think they'll be very well prepared for it," said Haines. "We have some guys that have been to an NCAA Tournament. They played the second round game against Georgetown. They understand what the environment is like, they understand what the circumstances are. And they'll be able to lead our young guys through any nerves or excitement, butterflies, or things like that."
Trent also emphasized that leadership from HPU's core that has already made an NCAA Tournament appearance will be crucial to bringing along a group that relies on youth as well. "A good chunk of us have been to the NCAA Tournament before, so it's familiar territory for us. But we can bring that experience and help the young guys out, maybe calm their nerves a little bit. Just continuing to speak to them and telling them to go out and do the things they've been doing all season, and then the game will take care of itself."
High Point men's soccer won its second Big South Tournament in three seasons as Noah Holmes recorded a brace and claimed league honors as the Tournament MVP. Holden Trent, Finn McRobb, and Sebastian Chalbaud joined Holmes on the All-Tournament Team. HPU's automatic bid secured the program's third overall NCAA Tournament berth after the Panthers earned an at-large bid in 2018 before its first Big South Tournament Championship in the 2020 spring season.