CLINTON, S.C. – The seventh and final home match of the 2026 season for the Presbyterian College women's soccer team is all set for Wednesday night, hoping to nudge their way into the Big South tournament picture against High Point.
First touch is labeled for 7:00 on ESPN+, as Presby welcomes the reigning Big South tournament champions to Martin Stadium. The Blue Hose were successful in their last home attempt, downing Longwood 1-0.
Head coach
Matt Smith and co. are eyeing a top-six spot in the conference standings which would give them entry into the postseason for the second time in three years. They'll finish the season on Halloween at Radford once Wednesday's contest is complete.
PC is coming off their third shutout of the season as they took down Longwood, winning the match with 20 minutes left on a penalty kick.
GAMEDAY INFO – WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21
Presbyterian (4-8-1, 1-5) vs. High Point (3-8-2, 2-2-1)
WHERE / WHEN: Martin Stadium | 7:00 PM
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
- HPU made a memorable postseason run in 2025, knocking off three teams as the number four seed to win the Big South Championship in a PK shootout against USC Upstate.
- Fast forward to the present day, and the Panthers have earned two league wins against Radford (3-0) and Longwood (2-1). They played Gardner-Webb to a scoreless tie in their most recent appearance on the road.
- Tomorrow will be an important meeting for both parties, as High Point currently sits right on the edge of the tournament cutoff spot with a week-and-a-half still to go in the regular season.
- Both PC and the Panthers have four players apiece that have scored at least twice this year. Junior Sabba Haghgoo paces High Point with 10 points (four goals, two assists).
- Head coach Aaron McGuiness has leaned on graduate keeper Nylah Mirshafiei, who has given up only two goals in her last five efforts.
LAST TIME OUT
- Julija Poplašen was responsible for the kick that may have turned PC's season in the right direction, the only goal from either side at the 69:30 stamp to defeat Longwood at home.
- It was her second connection of the fall and her first in a Big South setting, while freshman goalie Alexa Garica did her part to deny any chances at an equalizer down the stretch.
- Rookie midfielder
Katelynn Ciolek was voted the Adidas / Game One PC Student-Athlete of the Week as she helped dictate the pace of that win, giving the Blue Hose their 11
th shutout of the
Matt Smith era.
- Senior defenseman
Lyla Chadd continued her 63-match playing streak in the Longwood win, logging the full 90 minutes for the 55
th time in her career. Tomorrow will be her final appearance at Martin Stadium along with
Emma Brown,
Lucy Cartin, and
Emilia Lieber.
SMITH SEEKS HISTORY
- Thanks to her second brace of the semester in a 4-2 win over South Carolina State, sophomore
Maddie Smith has tied for the second-most goals in a single year of any PC player since the transition to Division I in the late 2000's.
- She has now connected on seven goals (fourth in the Big South), which is just one behind the Blue Hose D-I record that was set by Tori Lopez back in 2013.
- The Pennsylvania native has scored once in a league bout (the opener at UNC Asheville).
Maddi Merryweather's five points is second on the roster, having scored in two straight conference matches against Gardner-Webb and USC Upstate.
