By: Maurice E. Wilson

The practice session is crisp, efficient and organized. Like ants traveling together
in columns, they work in unison shuffling up and down their designated columns as they
roll from one warm-up drill to the next.

No one has to be told what to do.

They seamlessly transition to an inter-squad scrimmage where they are going over offensive strategy.

“Ross, Ross, Ross” yell multiple players in the same grey jersey as midfielder, Ross
Johnstone, the graduate transfer and midfielder.

Each one vying for attention in their frantic appeal to let him know they are the best option for him to pass the ball. With his eyes quickly scanning the field, Johnstone spots a teammate on his right streaking toward an open part of the field and instinctively determines this option gives his team the best chance to score.

He rears back his long, well-conditioned right leg and unloads on the ball with an explosive pop, perfectly placing the ball in front of his sprinting teammate to the open area before the defense can recover.

He never breaks stride.

Once he and the ball meet, he zips it to a teammate who has managed to outrace defenders chasing him. Upon controlling the ball, he takes his shot; but he misses –another one.

The man who is brave enough to wear an all-black outfit, complete with long pants, on a warm day in the Piedmont doesn’t yell, make a big scene or fuss. But he does start to fidget.

Zach Haines doesn’t have to yell to be noticed. Standing at 6’4” and literally head-and-shoulders above almost everybody else on the field, Haines’ presence is undeniable. He commands the field quietly, like a general overlooking his troops performing military exercises. Where he was once relaxed, Haines is now agitated as he has watched his team miss numerous shots as they practiced their offensive tactics. In a calm, yet commanding tone, he lets them know their spacing isn’t right, the read of the defense isn’t right, and their execution isn’t right. Doing all things “the right way” is the expectation he has of his
teams.

This is part of “the standard”.

“The standard” has propelled the High Point University’s men’s soccer team into the position as the premiere team in the Big South Conference. Under Haines’ helm, the men’s soccer team completed another successful season in 2024, where the Panthers were again regular season champions and reached a ranking as high as No. 5 in the nation.

In addition, Haines’ teams have made six straight Big South tournament championship appearances, though they came up short, losing 2-1 to Gardner-Webb University and failed to receive an NCAA tournament bid despite finishing the season ranked in the top two major polls.

This stretch of success has made the Panthers a regional power and placed a target on their back as “the team” to beat.

But instead of feeling pressure of having to live up to the success of past teams, it’s “more like excitement,” said Jefferson Amaya, junior midfielder and 2024 First Team All-Conference player, as well as 2024 Defender of the Year selected.

“It’s more like pride. You look forward to every game because you know teams are going to give their best,” he added.

However, the Panthers are not content with just winning regular season championships and making tournament final appearances. After playing and beating regional rival and No. 17 ranked Elon, along with Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouse and No. 1 ranked Pittsburg, Haines has the Panthers “knocking on the door” of being amongst the Creightons, Akrons and Denvers of the college soccer world.

These are the “disrupters” of the college soccer world – the mid-major programs who make deep runs in the NCAA tournament and beat the powerhouse teams along the way.

In order to reach that level, Haines challenges his team to play “the best teams you can” in order to get ready for conference play and be ready to face NCAA tournament-caliber teams when they get there. In addition to playing ranked opponents like Elon and Pittsburgh, the Panthers have played traditional powerhouse teams such as Virginia Commonwealth University, Marshall University and ACC power, North Carolina State.

Haines states that unlike football, or even basketball, where power conference teams enjoy an immense advantage in terms of resources, with soccer “the gap isn’t insurmountable.”

Instead of focusing on a lack of resources and not being able to attract big-name players that power conference teams can, Haines has built a program that focuses on team culture. When asked about the culture of the program, a common theme mentioned by the players is the comradery of the team.

“It feels like a big family,” says Brendan Krueger, the junior midfielder and team’s leading scorer.

Krueger was also selected First Team All-Conference and received Big South’s Midfielder of the Year award.

Though Krueger readily admits to having personal goals for the season, he knows “it all comes
with team performance” in order to attain them, said Kreuger.

Not only are Haines’s players high achievers on the soccer field, but they are also high achievers in the classroom. In 2022, Haines’ team set an HPU record by obtaining the highest GPA ever for a men’s team when his team garnered a 3.56 GPA. They have maintained a 3.0 or higher every semester that Haines has coached.

“We take a holistic approach,” Haines said. “We look at the athlete as a person and a student as well.”

Haines says he expects his players to be high-level athletes and students. That way when they are finished playing soccer, they “are equipped for the future.”

Haines’ philosophy of developing the whole person extends beyond academics. Coach Haines expects his players to be involved on campus and in their communities.

Being a soccer player at HPU puts his players in the position of “being a role model for yourself, the team, your family and the university,” said Haines.

The Panther soccer players regularly participate in Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day of Service activities on campus. In addition, the players can be seen volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House, area hospitals or at local shelters where they have packed supplies for back-to-school students and single moms.

Volunteering in the community and helping others “opens your eyes to how lucky we are,” said Johnstone. “You feel very grateful and don’t take it for granted.”

“The character of his players is outstanding,” said Dan Hauser, HPU’s athletic director. “You can see the head coach in the players and how they carry themselves.”

Coach Haines sets the tone for caring for those around you by having an open-door policy with his players where they can talk about anything they may be dealing with.

With this openness, his players know they “can talk about anything other than soccer,” said Amaya.

And while he is concerned with his players’ personal matters and expects them to perform well in the classroom, he is also demanding on the soccer field.

“He wants to get everything spot-on,” said Amaya, describing Coach Haines’ approach during practice.

Coach Haines states that he constantly tells his players to always challenge themselves and to become better. He even places motivational posters and quotes throughout the locker room to further remind them to constantly improve and to inspire them.

Coach Zach Haines has assumed his previous position outside the playing area, looking very pensive with his arms crossed. After their quick lesson and gentle reprimand on the details of offensive tactics, the team in the grey jerseys is ready to make amends.

When the ball is put in play they begin their attack.

After the ball starts at the edge of the field, it finds Ross up the middle as he is outracing a defender. After corralling the ball while running near full speed, he launches his shot right before the defender arrives and drills it perfectly causing the ball to whiz into the lower right corner of the goal.

Zach Haines can stop fidgeting now – one finally went in.