ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop men's soccer steps away from Big South Conference action as it travels for a midweek clash with fourth-ranked North Carolina, Tuesday at 7 p.m.
 
The game will take place at UNCG Soccer Stadium in Greensboro, NC as UNC's current stadium is being renovated.
 
GAME SNAPSHOT
WHO: Winthrop (2-5-1, 0-1 Big South) vs. #7 North Carolina (8-1-0, 3-0 ACC)
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 26, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Greensboro, NC (UNCG Soccer Stadium)
BROADCAST: ACC Network Extra (Click Here)
LIVE STATS: Statbroadcast (Click Here)
TWITTER: @WUGameDay / @Winthropsoccer / @WUEagles
TICKETS:  Free Admission
 
WINTHROP VERSUS THE ACC
This will be the 33^rd time the Eagles face an opponent from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the first time since 2011. The Eagles are 2-29-1 all-time against ACC foe and the last matchup was a 1-0 loss at Wake Forest on Sept. 25, 2011. That game was not originally scheduled, but both teams had games wash out and put the contest together. Winthrop has lost five straight to teams in the ACC with all five one-goal losses. The first meeting against an ACC foe too place on Oct. 28, 1979 as the Eagles hosted Wake Forest and captured one of their two wins vs. the ACC with a 5-0 result.        

WINTHROP VERSUS THE TOP 25
Winthrop faces a nationally-ranked opponent for the 31^st time as they look to snap a three-game losing streak vs. Top 25 teams. This will be the first ranked opponent out of the ACC since facing 20^th-ranked Duke in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in 2009. Winthrop's last meeting against a Top 25 team came in the 2017 season opener as the Eagles fell 1-0 at #15 Charlotte. This will be the 15^th time the Eagles face an opponent ranked in the Top 10 and first since 2015 against 9^th-ranked Coastal Carolina (lost 3-2). The Eagles have one Top 10 victory, which came on Nov. 6, 2002 in a 2-1 overtime win over #10 Coastal Carolina in the Big South Conference championship game. The last Top 25 victory came on Oct. 13, 2015 as the Eagles defeated 25^th-ranked Radford 1-0.          
 
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS NORTH CAROLINA
The Eagles and Tar Heels meet for the 8^th time and for the first time since 2002. Winthrop and UNC have met a few times in recent years for preseason exhibition games, but it hasn't been since Nov. 22, 2002 since the meeting counted in the record book. That meeting was the first round of the NCAA Tournament and the first time the Eagles had ever qualified. Winthrop fell 6-0 to the 17^th-ranked Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, NC. This series dates back to Sept. 2, 1984 when the two teams first met and the Eagles pulled off a 4-3 victory. The two teams didn't meet again until 1991 and the Tar Heels have won the six meetings since.          
  
A GLANCE AT WINTHROP
Winthrop is coming off its worst loss of the 2017 season on Saturday and looking to regain some of the form it displayed in the seven games prior. The Eagles have dropped three straight games and enter this contest averaging 1.5 goals per game after being shutout for just the second time this season. Through the first five games of the season the Eagles allowed four goals, but have since allowed seven in the last three. Leading scorer Max Hasenstab was under the weather over the weekend and did not start versus Presbyterian College, but did enter the game to start the second half but the Eagle offense could not get going. Hasenstab leads the team with 14 points (6g, 2a) and is tied for 3^rd in the Big South in points per game. Following the game vs. UNC, the Eagles will play four of the next six games at home.          

A GLANCE AT NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina has won six straight games and is coming off a 2-1 win at 9^th-ranked Virginia on Friday. The Tar Heels boast the nation's third best offense at 2.78 goals per game and are allowing 1.22 goals per game. The offense is led by Jelani Pieters at 1.44 points per game (54^th nationally) and Cam Lindley with 1.22 points per game (96^th nationally). Alan Winn leads the team in points with 15 as he's scored seven goals in six games. Pieters netted the golden goal in overtime for the victory at Virginia. UNC has used three different goalies on the season with Alex Smir drawing the most minutes as he's played in five games and holds a 5-0 record with a 1.15 goals against average.  
 
HASENSTAB TABBED BIG SOUTH ATTACKING PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR A SECOND TIME
Max Hasenstab was named the Big South Attacking Player of the Week for a second time this season (Sept. 18) after he helped the team to a 1-1 record the week before with two goals and two assists. He earned his first one of the season with his hat trick in the win over Wofford. It was his third career hat trick and the third time in his career to capture the honor.     
 
HASENSTAB ONE OF NATION'S TOP SCORING THREATS
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 entered the season third among active players with 1.67 points per game and has moved to 2nd at 1.71 per game. He remains ahead of Maryland's Gordon Wild for the most goals for an active player with 40. He began the year 3rd in goals per game at .71 and has increased that to .73 (3rd). Through eight games he's 19^th nationally in goals per game and 19^th in points per game. He is a three-time All-Big South selection and the 2015 Big South Conference Tournament MVP. He has 94 career points, which ranks 1st among active players and is 7th all-time in Winthrop history.
  
WHAT'S AHEAD
Winthrop remains away from home, but gets back to business in the Big South as it travels to Farmville, VA for a 6 p.m. matchup with Longwood on Saturday, Sept. 30. Then the Eagles will play four of the next five contest at Eagle Field.
 
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.