High Point's Daniel Lugo Named United Soccer Coaches Third-Team All-American
By High Point Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The accolades continue to pour in for High Point University's
Daniel Lugo as he is one of 35 men's soccer players across the country to be named a United Soccer Coaches All-American, which was released by the association on Friday afternoon.
Lugo is the fourth Panther student-athlete to receive such an honor, joining Karo Okiomah (2010), Johnny Fenwick (2018), and MD Myers (2020-21) in prestigious list of HPU United Soccer Coaches' All-Americans.
The redshirt sophomore striker made an immediate impact, transferring to High Point from North Carolina and starting in 19 of 20 games while scoring 14 goals — with seven game-winning scores — and assisting on five for a team and conference-leading 33 points.
Lugo's seven game-winning goals are the program's most in a single-season, breaking Mamadee Nyepon's record of six set in 2012 while being the second most in all the NCAA in 2025. His 14 goals scored and 33 points are the fourth-most scored since 2020 when fellow MAC Hermann Trophy honoree MD Meyers did the exact same.
The 6-foot-2 forward netted his first collegiate goals in the season opener against No. 14/25 Georgetown and scored in 12 total matches en route to High Point's best season in program history that featured a NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance and 14-2-4 record.
Lugo had a brace against Georgetown to jumpstart 2025 and ended the regular season with one versus Winthrop. The clutch scorer scored the game-winning goal in three straight matches, beginning with one in the regular-season finale versus the Eagles followed by one in the Big South Tournament semis versus USC Upstate and another against Gardner-Webb in the Big South Championship, where the Panthers completed a perfect 9-0 league record and a historic conference goal differential, 30-1.
Lugo was named the Big South Tournament MVP and continues to add onto his list of accolades:
* United Soccer Coaches All-America Third Team
* United Soccer Coaches All-South Region First Team
* TDS Player of the Year Finalist
* MAC Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List
* TDS Midseason Top 100 Players (#31)
* Big South Offensive Player of the Year
* Big South Newcomer of the Year
* Big South First Team
* Big South Tournament MVP
* Big South Offensive Player of the Week (x2)
* Big South Midseason Players to Watch List
This year's All-Americans will be recognized for their accomplishments at the United Soccer Coaches All-America Ceremony & Reception on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 in Philadelphi, Pa., in conjunction with the United Soccer Coaches Convention.