Men’s Soccer: Saturday Exhibition at Kentucky
August 22, 2008 12:16 PM | General
By Ira Green for MSNsportsNET.com
August 22, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (August 22, 2008) – The West Virginia University men’s soccer team will travel to Lexington, Ky., for its second and final preseason exhibition against Kentucky on Saturday. Kickoff at the UK Soccer Complex is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.
The Mountaineers have never faced the Wildcats in a regular-season or postseason match, but did play Kentucky in a 2007 shortened-preseason exhibition. WVU held a 1-0 advantage before play was stopped due to inclement weather.
WVU will have a difficult task as the Wildcats return their two top goal scorers in juniors Barry Rice and Tim Crone. Rice was tabbed earlier this month as the preseason Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, and was selected to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List.
Kentucky dropped its first preseason match against Dayton, Monday, Aug. 18, 3-2. Masumi Turnbull, a selection to the Conference USA Preseason Team, and Marcos dos Santos each scored a goal for the Wildcats.
WVU also fell in its first preseason exhibition on Aug. 16 against Virginia at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, 2-1. The Mountaineers had six newcomers (five freshmen, one transfer) start in the first half.
Sophomore Dan Hagey scored WVU’s lone goal of the game at the 5:25 mark in the opening session. Hagey took a through ball from sophomore Paul Paradise, and after the initial shot slipped away from Virginia’s goalkeeper, Hagey blasted the rebound into the back of the net.
The Mountaineers open regular-season play on Friday, Aug. 29 against Lafayette as part of the West Virginia University Classic. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Admission to all home matches for WVU students is free.
