What you need to know:
* The Panthers will open the regular season at home against Mercer on Friday, before hosting USC Upstate on Sunday.
* The match against the Spartans will be the first of four matches streamed live on PantherVision.
* Kickoff for the Mercer match will be at 8 p.m., while kickoff for the USC Upstate match will be at 5 p.m.
ATLANTA- The Georgia State men's soccer team will host two home matches this weekend, opening the regular season against Mercer on Friday and USC Upstate on Sunday.
The Panthers played one exhibition match during the preseason, hosting Clayton State. The team was scheduled to play North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., but the match was canceled due to inclement weather last Saturday.
Three Panthers were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team, with Hannes Burmeister, Liam Fitzsimmons, and Frank Rosenwald being honored. Burmeister ended the 2016 season as the team's leading scorer, scoring 11 goals and two hat tricks. Fitzsimmons helped lead the team to an impressive seven shutouts, including four-straight to end October play. Rosenwald posted 30 shots, ranking third on the team, with 16 on target for a .533 shot on goal percentage.
This is the second year in a row that Georgia State has opened the regular season against Mercer. The Panthers traveled to Macon, Ga., last year to face the Bears, falling 1-0.
The two teams will meet for the 55th time in series history. GSU holds a 33-18-3 match advantage.
USC Upstate will open its regular season at South Carolina before traveling to Atlanta to face Georgia State. This will be the tenth time the teams have faced each other, with the Panthers holding a 5-3-1 advantage over the Spartans.
Kickoff against the Bears is set for 8 p.m. following the women's match and for 5 p.m. against USC Upstate. A live stream will be available free of charge for the USC Upstate match on PantherVision, the first of four matches to be streamed this year. Live stats for both matches will be available at GeorgiaStateSports.com, and parking and admission are free for all fans.
Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GSUMensSoccer) for the latest news and updates.
