High Point Men's Soccer Enters TopDrawerSoccer.com's National Rankings
By High Point Athletics
HIGH POINT, N.C. - TopDrawerSoccer has released its weekly rankings as the High Point University men's soccer makes its appearance at No. 20 in the polls. The Panthers have been ranked in at least one national poll in five of the past six years under HPU Head Coach Zach Haines.
With Haines at the helm, HPU was ranked in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and now 2024. In the spring of 2021, HPU was ranked in all four national polls and as high as No. 14 in the country in the 2020-21 season. HPU finished the spring of 2021 with a final ranking of No. 23 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Through two seasons, Haines was 25-9-0 overall and had the highest win percentage of any active head coach in DI.
Haines has led the 2024 Panthers to a 6-2-2 overall record and a perfect 3-0-0 record in Big South play a little more than halfway into the season. The back-to-back Big South Coach of the Year set up the 2024 schedule with a few tough matchups with top-ranked opponents early in the season.
The Panthers took the trip to face No. 7 Marshall University back in early September as it resulted in a 2-1 loss. High Point learned a few things about themselves and were able to bounce right back to play to a 1-1 draw at No. 14 Virginia Commonwealth University. Most recently, HPU upset No. 17 Elon University on its home turf, 1-0, to end an eight-game unbeaten streak at Rudd Field. High Point will travel to top-ranked Pittsburgh for another top-25 matchup this season on October 14 at 7 p.m.
At Vert Stadium, HPU continues its 16-game unbeaten streak at home while the Panthers have not lost at home in the Big South since 2019. Appearing in five straight Big South finals, Haines and Company are ranked fourth in most Big South titles with three. Nearing the end of the 2024 slate with five games remaining, HPU is looking to make an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time since 2021.
High Point will return to the pitch on Friday, October 11 at 7 p.m. for senior night against Longwood University.