High Point to Face Charlotte in NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament
By High Point Athletics
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men's soccer team has punched its ticket in back-to-back seasons to the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers will travel to face UNC Charlotte on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. at Transamerica Field in Charlotte, N.C.
Head Coach Zach Haines: "I feel great. We get a game just over an hour away, and then a chance to go to Clemson. We just need to look to the game in Charlotte on Thursday. We know them well — a familiar opponent but we haven't played them in several years. Being another North Carolina program, we see them a lot and are familiar with what they do and how they've done. I am excited about the opportunity. We have had a good year; they have had a good year. We will be ready."
For the second straight season, the Panthers are slated to face an in-state team as HPU upset UNC Chapel Hill last season behind a 2-0 shutout win for the team's first-ever NCAA Tournament win and HPU's third overall.
HPU has played the 49ers just two times in program history, dating back to 1976. The most recent matchup was in 2018 as the 49ers came away with a 1-0 victory in Charlotte. UNC Charlotte holds a 12-3-1 overall record and a 6-2 record in the American Athletic Conference. The 49ers beat top-ranked SMU in the conference championship, 2-1.
Heading into the NCAA Tournament, High Point holds a 10-3-5 overall record and a 6-0-1 record in the Big South. The Panthers, who won the regular-season title, claimed the Big South Championship trophy after a thrilling penalty shootout against UNC Asheville. HPU advanced 4-3 in PKs after double overtime ended in a 1-1 tie.
The winner of this match will head to Clemson, S.C. to take on the Tigers on their home turf.