HIGH POINT, N.C. – A pair of High Point University men’s soccer players earned their first-ever Big South weekly honors this Tuesday, with junior Ilias Kosmidis and freshman Tony Pineda taking home Attacking Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week respectively. Both Kosmidis and Pineda are newcomers to HPU this season, as they combined for four goals and nine points over a pair of wins at Davidson and ETSU.
Kosmidis picked up his first goal in Purple & White last Monday at Davidson, scoring an 11th minute PK in just his second match since transferring from UTRGV in the offseason. The former Vaquero added another tally at ETSU, providing his side with the go-ahead goal in the 67th minute of a 3-2 victory. With five points on the season, Kosmidis is in a tie for second for most points in the Big South this year, collecting an assist in the Panthers season opener at Wofford. Beyond his conference honor, the Grecian-native also received accolades from the PDL (Premier Development League) this past week, getting listed as one of the top U20 midfielders in the league.
Pineda opened his career scoring with a game-winner in the Panthers’ 2-1 victory over Davidson last Monday. After beating three defenders on the dribble, the forward ripped a shot from the edge of the 18 that would secure his team’s second win of the season. Pineda found his second goal of the year just four days later, breaking a scoreless tie between HPU and ETSU in the 51st minute. The freshman added his second assist of the year on Kosmidis’ goal later in the match, to bring his point-total to six on the year, more than any other player in the Big South. In addition to his conference honor, the Statesville-native was also listed to this week’s ‘College Soccer News’ National Team of the Week, while the Panthers received votes in the National Top-30 poll for a third consecutive week.
Kosmidis, Pineda and the rest of the Panthers are off to their first 3-0 start since 2012 as they attempt to win their fourth of the season against UNCG this Tuesday in Greensboro. HPU currently leads the Big South in both goals per game (2.33) and goals against average (0.96), while holding a league-best +4 goal differential.
Big South Attacking Player of the Week
Ilias Kosmidis | Forward/Midfield | Junior | Thessaloniki, Greece
• First career Big South Attacking Player of the Week honor
• Scored the first goal of his High Point career on a penalty at Davidson
• Recorded the go-ahead goal against ETSU this past Friday
• Pair of goals give him five points on the year, trailing only Pineda for a conference-high
• Scored his two goals on just three attempts at net last week (.667)
Big South Freshman of the Week
Tony Pineda | Forward/Midfield | Freshman | Statesville, N.C.
• First career Big South Freshman of the Week honor
• Scored first goal of his career against Davidson, a potential ‘Goal of the Year’ candidate
• Tally against the Wildcats proved to be a game-winner in the 2-1 final
• Opened scoring against ETSU on his second goal of the year
• Recorded an assist on teammate Ilias Kosmidis’ goal for a conference-high six points on the season
The Panthers are set to face the Spartans at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night, looking for their seventh straight win against UNCG. The last time the Spartans were victorious over HPU was in 2008, when current Panthers Head Coach EJ O’Keeffe appeared in the UNCG starting XI.