TopDrawerSoccer Ranks HPU's Daniel Lugo Nation’s No. 2 Player
By High Point Athletics
HIGH POINT, N.C. — On the opening week of the Division I men's soccer regular season, TopDrawerSoccer announced its annual preseason awards Tuesday as High Point University had multiple Panthers recognized.
Forward
Daniel Lugo was tabbed the No. 2 player in the TDS Men's National Top 100 Players and a member of the TDS Preseason Best XI First Team. Defender
Roman Holt was ranked No. 37 in the TDS National Top 100 Players; meanwhile, defender
Kieran Smith earned a spot on the TDS Preseason Best XI Freshman Team.
#9 Daniel Lugo, Senior Forward
The All-American Lugo returns to HPU for his senior season after becoming the program's second-highest draft pick (29th overall) when the Vancouver Whitecaps selected him in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft in December. In 2025, his first season at High Point after transferring from North Carolina, Lugo started in 19 of 20 games while scoring 14 goals — with a single-season program-best seven game-winning scores — and assisting on five for a team and conference-leading 33 points in 1,191 minutes played. The Floridan racked up the accolades in one season as he was voted the 2025-26 Big South Conference Male Athlete of the Year, the Big South Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year, Big South Newcomer of the Year, Big South Tournament MVP, Big South First-Team All-Conference, United Soccer Coaches All-American, MAC Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List, TDS Player of the Year Finalist, and a member of the TDS Best XI First Team as the No. 4 player in the nation to cap 2025. On top of being ranked the 2026 TDS Preseason No. 2 player in the nation and on the TDS Preseason Best IX First Team, he was recently named to the United Soccer Coaches' 2026 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy NCAA Division I Men's Players to Watch List.
#15 Roman Holt, Senior Defender
Holt started all 20 matches for the Panthers a season ago, and logged 1,720 minutes with 14 full-time matches played. Holt dished out his first collegiate assist at Radford on Oct. 18 and was part of a defense that posted 10 shutouts and held Big South opponents to just one score in seven matches. A native of Tampa, Florida, Holt was a TopDrawerSoccer 2025 Postseason Freshmen Top 100 selection at No. 5, was named to the TDS 2025 Freshman Best XI Team, and was the TDS 2025 Midseason Freshmen Top 100 (No. 13), as well as the Big South All-Freshman Team. Now, he heads into 2026 as the No. 37 ranked player in the nation.
#2 Kieran Smith, Freshman Defender
Smith comes to HPU after 10 starts for MLS Next Pro New York FC II in 2026. He was a member of the NYCFC U18 Team for two seasons and participated in the 2026 MLS First Team NYCFC Preseason Camp. He is Jamaican National Team Member and now tabbed to the TDS Preseason Best XI Freshman Team ahead of his rookie year.