Men's Soccer: WVU Welcomes Akron, Slippery Rock
April 09, 2010 03:20 PM | General
April 9, 2010
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| Coach Marlon LeBlanc |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University men’s soccer team resumes its spring slate with a pair of home matches this weekend at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
On Saturday, April 10, WVU plays host to 2009 NCAA runner-up Akron at 3 p.m. The Mountaineers then welcome Slippery Rock on Sunday, April 11 at 1 p.m. Admission to both matches is free.
In the 2009 season, Akron ran through its competition, during the regular season and NCAA Tournament, unscathed before falling to Virginia in the title game in penalty kicks (3-2). Although the loss in PK’s during the regular season would have counted as a tie, the result goes down as a loss for Akron, as it finished the season at 23-1-1. The team returns the corps of its lineup, including 2009 M.A.C Hermann Trophy winner Teal Bunbury.
Slippery Rock, a Division II squad, was crowned the 2009 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champions. The Rock registered an 18-4-1 overall mark and finished the season ranked No. 13 nationally in the NSCAA/adidas Division II poll.
"Akron didn't lose a game last year,” coach Marlon LeBlanc says. “They had the best defense and highest scoring team in the country. We're playing arguably the best team in America on Saturday. That alone will present a great challenge.
"Slippery Rock was one of the top teams in its division last year. Both games will be a big challenge for our team. We've only had three days of training outside, so that will be a challenge for us as well. We're looking forward to playing some good competition."
In each of the two matches, the Mountaineers will be wearing black arm bands with gold-lettered initials “R.S.” on them to honor the late Russ Sharp, who was WVU’s senior associate athletic director for administration and finance. Sharp, who lost a long battle with prostate cancer, passed away on March 17.
"Russ Sharp was a good friend,” LeBlanc adds. “We certainly already miss him here at WVU. We want to take the opportunity to honor and remember him, even in a small way, just to keep his memory alive. Russ was a major contributor from a soccer standpoint at the BIG EAST level, sitting on the championship committee. I was very fortunate in my four years here to be able to have that time with him."
