ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop men's soccer opens the 2017 season Saturday evening when it travels to take on 15^th-ranked Charlotte at 7 p.m.
 
GAME SNAPSHOT
WHO: Winthrop (0-0) at Charlotte (0-0)
WHERE: Charlotte, NC (Transamerica Field)
BROADCAST: CSU-TV (Click Here)
LIVE STATS: Sidearm (Click Here)
TWITTER: @WUGameDay / @Winthropsoccer / @WUEagles
TICKETS:  (http://packthemine49.com/sports/#gold) $5 adult, $2 youth (ages 2-17)
    
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS CHARLOTTE
This will mark the 22^nd meeting all-time as the 49ers lead the series 15-3-3 and have won the last eight meetings. The two teams met last season on Eagle Field as Winthrop fell 2-0. The last visit to Transamerica field by the Eagles was a 3-2 loss. Current Eagle Max Hasenstab had the second goal for Winthrop on that day.  
 
SEASON OPENERS
The Eagles have won six of their last seven season openers, but had won six straight before falling 3-0 at North Florida to open the 2016 season. The Eagles are 23-19 all-time in season openers and 10-11 when opening away from home.  
 
A GLANCE AT THE EAGLES (CLICK HERE FOR SEASON PREVIEW)
The Eagles are looking to bounce back from a 5-10-1 mark in 2016 and climb their way back to the upper half of the Big South Conference. Just two years ago, the Eagles lifted the hardware and celebrated a conference championship and 6^th NCAA College Cup appearance. The Eagles return eight starters from last year's team and welcome back Max Hasenstab, who missed the 2016 season with injury. The team featured so many new faces last season, but this year's team has the stability and experience to compete for a league title once again.

A GLANCE AT THE 49ERS
Charlotte is coming off a championship season and is once again picked to win Conference USA. The 49ers are nationally ranked in the preseason with the NSCAA ranking of 15 being the highest. Redshirt sophomore Eliot Panicco (goalkeeper) is ranked #63 in the College Soccer News Top 100 players nationally. In 2016, Charlotte boasted the nation's 5^th best offense at 2.06 goals per game.
 
WINTHROP VERSUS TOP 25 OPPONENTS
This will mark the 29^th time the Eagles have faced an opponent while it's ranked in the Top 25. Winthrop has faced several teams over the years that have been ranked regionally and many opponents that were ranked at some point during the season. The Eagles are 4-23-1 all-time vs. nationally-ranked opponents but with 11 of those losses coming by one goal. In the last four games vs. nationally-ranked opponents the Eagles are 2-2. This will be just the second time the Eagles have ever opened a season against a Top 25 team. The first came in 1983 at Clemson as the Eagles fell to the 8^th-ranked Tigers 2-0.
 
HASENSTAB ONE OF NATION'S TOP SCORERS
Redshirt senior Max Hasenstab has had a decorated career and enters the 2017 season among some of the NCAA Division I active scoring leaders. Hasenstab is currently third among active players with 1.67 points per game and 5^th in total goals scored with 34. He's also third in goals per game at .71. He is a three-time All-Big South selection and the 2015 Big South Conference Tournament MVP. He has 80 career points, which ranks 10^th among active players and tied for 8^th all-time in Winthrop history.
 
BIG SOUTH PRESEASON POLL
Winthrop was picked fifth in the Big South Preseason Poll as it was tied with Campbell with 45 votes. The Eagles captured their final two league games of 2016, but did not advance to the conference tournament. Winthrop and Campbell were just seven votes behind Longwood in 4^th. The Highlanders received 7-of-9 first-place votes while High Point was picked second and Liberty third.

WHAT'S AHEAD
Following their season opener at Charlotte, the Eagles will head down to Macon, GA for the Big South/SoCON Challenge. Winthrop will open up against Mercer on Friday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and then face Wofford College on Sunday at noon.