SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The USC Upstate men's soccer team is set to open their Big South schedule with the defending conference champions for the second year in a row as they head to High Point, N.C. to face off with the High Point Panthers Saturday night.
Saturday's MatchUP
September 23 | 4:00 p.m.
Vert Stadium | High Point, N.C.
USC Upstate (2-3-1, 0-0-0 Big South) at High Point (3-1-2, 0-0-0 Big South)
How They Stack UP
USC Upstate (2-3-1, 0-0-0 Big South) at High Point (3-1-2, 0-0-0 Big South) with no common opponents between the two teams.
Series: High Point leads the series 7-0-3 as the Spartans look for their first win against the conference foe. The last two regular season meetings have been 1-1 draws while the most recent matchup was a 3-1 semi-final bout in High Point's favor.
Last Five Matches:
11-6-22 | (UPST 1 | HPU 3)
10-29-22 | (UPST 1 | HPU 1)
10-6-21 | (UPST 1 | HPU 1)
4-17-21 | (UPST 1 | HPU 3) * Big South Championship
3-27-21 | (UPST 1 | HPU 2)
Players to Watch
Three Spartans are still on the team who saw action during the Big South Championship battle between Upstate and High Point. Jimmy James, Jeremy Montero, and Julian Fernandez will look to make an impact in what could be their final showing against the Panthers. In addition, Montero (offensive) and Felipe Marty (defensive) finished second in preseason player of the year voting to two Panthers. Elijah Jackson and Cooper Jennings remain the only two Spartans to play all 540 minutes of the season.
Finn McRobb and Noah Holmes were named the Big South's preseason defensive and offensive players of the year respectively. McRobb leads the Panthers with three goals and has found the back of the net in two of High Point's last three matches. In the net, both Josh Carson and Justin Stewart have played at least one full match, with Carson playing most recently but it has been Stewart who earned the lion's share of minutes as the Panthers look to fill the Holden Trent-sized hole in goal.
Last Match Out
The Spartans saw action last Saturday night as they fell on the road to the Liberty Flames. Senior Jeremy Montero earned his first goal of the season and tenth of his career, making him the ninth player in Upstate's D1 era to earn 10+ goals.
The Panthers have found their groove after a slow start and currently ride a three-match-unbeaten streak after their 1-0 shutout victory over William & Mary in their most recent midweek tilt.
UP Next For The Spartans
The Spartans will face a familiar non-conference opponent as they are set to head to Columbia to face off with South Carolina in what has been a tightly contested series as of late.
GET INVOLVED
Want to be a ball kid for USC Upstate Soccer? Kids ages 10 and up can help the Spartans all season long by retrieving game balls on the sidelines during home men's and women's soccer matches at County-University Soccer Stadium. Click here for more details.
Connect with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter | @UpstateMSoccer
Instagram | @Upstatemenssoccer
Youtube.com/UpstateSpartans
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