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Road Swing Continues for Mountaineers at Princeton
October 19, 2015 02:45 PM | Men's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University men’s soccer team continues its three match roadtrip at Princeton on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m.
The Mountaineers (6-7-0, 1-1-0 Mid-American Conference) take on the Tigers (5-4-2, 0-2-1 Ivy League) for the first time in program history. WVU owns a 1-2 record against Ivy League competition.
Fans unable to cheer on the Mountaineers in person can watch a live stream on the Ivy League Digital Network, and follow along with live stats on GoPrincetonTigers.com. Updates from Roberts Stadium will also be available on social media by following and connecting with @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
West Virginia has won four of its last six, including a 3-0 win over Penn State on Oct. 13. In the victory, head coach Marlon LeBlanc won his 100th career match. With his first four wins coming at Penn State, LeBlanc owns a 96-65-27 record with the Mountaineers, four shy of 100 wins in the Gold and Blue. Additionally, sophomore Joey Piatczyc had an assist and a goal. It was his 12th assist of the year, tied for the most in a single season in program history. The goal, in the 89th minute, was the first of his career.
Tuesday’s match at Princeton, and Saturday’s outing at Bowling Green, concludes the road portion of WVU’s regular season schedule. The Mountaineers then finish the regular season with three matches at home before the MAC Tournament, hosted by the team with the best league record.
WVU is among the conference and national leaders in several statistical categories. The Mountaineers are first in the nation with 2.38 assists per game, and third nationally with 31 total assists. West Virginia’s 5.92 points per game is second in the MAC and 19th in the NCAA, while WVU is No. 23 in the country with 77 total points. Additionally, with 3.77 saves per game, WVU is first in the MAC.
Individually, Piatczyc continues to lead the nation in assists. He is averaging 0.92 assist per game and is also first with 12 total assists. Senior Zak Leedom is third in the MAC and No. 20 in the country with six total assists, and senior Jamie Merriam’s three game-winning goals is the best in the league.
SCOUTING PRINCETON
Princeton is 5-4-2 on the season and 0-2-1 in Ivy League action. The Tigers are coming off a 2-0 loss to Columbia on Saturday that halted a three match unbeaten streak. Princeton has been shut out twice and is looking for its first shutout of the year. The Tigers are 3-1-1 at home, with wins over Boston, Seton Hall and Fairleigh Dickinson.
The Tigers are coached by Jim Barlow, in his 20th season at the helm. A 1991 Princeton graduate, Barlow has led PU to four NCAA Tournament berths and four Ivy League titles. Princeton won the Ivy League in 2014 and last made the NCAA Tournament in 2009 and 2010.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE TIGERS
Tuesday marks the first ever meeting between West Virginia and Princeton. It is WVU’s fourth contest vs. Ivy League competition and the first of two this season. West Virginia is 1-2 all-time vs. current Ivy League programs. Last year, the Mountaineers won at Penn, 1-0, and the Quakers make the return visit to Morgantown on Nov. 11.
UP NEXT: AT BOWLING GREEN
WVU’s three match roadtrip concludes at Mid-American Conference foe Bowling Green on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. The Mountaineers are 3-4-1 vs. the Falcons and 2-1-1 in league competition. A year ago, WVU earned a 2-1 win at home before a 3-2 loss in overtime in the MAC Tournament.
LAST TIME OUT: AT BUFFALO
WVU saw its two match winning streak come to an end with a 2-0 loss at Buffalo on Friday night at UB Stadium. The Mountaineers allowed two goals in the final 20 minutes as the Bulls scored twice in five minutes.
WVU outshot UB, 16-15, and the Mountaineers had an 8-7 edge in shots on goal. Both teams had eight shots and four shots on goal in the second half. Junior goalkeeper Daniel Diaz had five saves for West Virginia, while the Bulls’ Joseph Kuta had eight saves. Sophomore Joey Piatczyc and freshman Tucker Stephenson led the team with two shots on goal.
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