WHO:	High Point University
WHERE:	UNCG Soccer Stadium | Greensboro, N.C.
WHEN:	Thursday, August 19 | 7 p.m.
	Live Stats
	Broadcast
	The contest is part of the University's Welcome Week and the first 200 students in attendance will receive a free Chick-Fil-A sandwich and UNCG tank top.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro women's soccer kicks off the regular season hosting the Big South Conference Preseason favorite High Point University on Thursday, August 19 at 7 p.m. at UNCG Soccer Stadium.
 
The Spartans are coming off exhibitions against Appalachian State and Charlotte, while the Panthers began the year with pre-season match-ups against Davidson and No. 3 North Carolina.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS

• Ashley Avelino, a 2020-21 All-SoCon second team selection, Maddy Gilhool, and Caroline Woods return for UNCG, as they led the 2020-21 squad with two goals apiece. 
• Head Coach Michael Coll welcomes seven newcomers to the field in Makenna Nunez, Jill Ginn, Chloe Lausell, Rachel Poplin, Mel Herrera, Ally Hackett, and Laura Aalmans, while 10 seniors lead the way aiming to get the program back to where it was in 2019. 
• Prior to the 2020-21 season, the Spartans saw three-straight seasons of 10-plus wins, including the program's 10th and 11th trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2017 and 2018. 
• Aiyanah Tyler-Cooper returns in net, as she was second in the Southern Conference with a .872 save percentage and four shutouts, and third with a 0.65 goals against average. 
• Senior Kayla Campbell was the lone Spartan to be named to the 2020-21 Preseason All-SoCon team. She led all defenders in 2019 with five goals, while being a force on the back line helping UNCG to six clean sheets. 
• In program history the Spartans are 13-18-2 overall in season openers, and 8-5-2 at home. 

SCOUTING HIGH POINT

• Junior Sam Gerhart was named the 2021 Big South Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after earning 2021 Spring Big South Offensive Player of the Year honors. She tallied a league-best 11 goals and four assists for a conference-best 26 points. Each year she has earned the highest possible end-of-season individual honor she starts her junior season the same way with preseason Player of the Year honors. 
• Redshirt junior Morgan Hairston has played in 14 games between the posts averaging 0.681 goals against and only eight goals against. The goalie started and played in all 11 games last year giving up seven goals for the Panthers.
• With a 3-1 victory over Prebyterian last season, High Point won their sixth Big South regular season Championship. 
• This is the fourth time in school history that the Panthers have been chosen as preseason favorites.
• This season, the Panthers will face two ACC opponents and an SEC opponent as well as teams from the Atlantic 10, SoCon, American, and the Colonial.
• High Point earned their sixth NCAA Tournament bid in 2017 after securing their sixth Big South title. In the past seven years, the Panthers have totaled six 10-plus win seasons, with a program best 13 wins in 2016 and 2017. 

SERIES HISTORY

• The last time the two teams met was February 13, 2021, when the Panthers defeated the Spartans, 2-0, in the teams' opener. 
• UNCG leads the series with a 7-3-1 record, as High Point has won the last two match-ups.