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WVU’s Toughness Prevails in 3-2 Road Win
October 03, 2015 06:27 PM | Men's Soccer
LORETTO, Pa. – The West Virginia University men’s soccer team used a pair of highlight-reel goals and withstood two late scores to beat St. Francis (Pa.), 3-2, on a rainy, cold Saturday afternoon in Loretto, Pa.
The Mountaineers (4-5-0) became the first team this season to score on SFU’s home pitch as the Red Flash (5-3-3) allowed more than two goals in a match for the first time this season.
WVU’s goals came courtesy of senior Jamie Merriam, sophomore Jad Arslan and freshman Tucker Stephenson. Sophomore Joey Piatczyc assisted on the second two goals and now has a nation-best 10 assists on the year.
“It was tough elements, tough surface to play on and tough weather as well, but our guys are pretty tough,” WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. “Our guys were fantastic. We let them back in the game twice, you have to give credit to St. Francis for being resilient, but we’re a difficult team to beat when we’re clicking on all cylinders. Hopefully we can get on a bit of a roll here.”
Merriam netted the first of two highlight goals of the match. With 11 seconds left in the first half, Merriam fired a shot from the left side, 30 yards out, into the right side of the net. Senior Zak Leedom fed Merriam the ball on a throw-in that bounced once before the Merriam found the ball mid-air, dribbled once and sent it towards the net. It was Merriam’s third goal of the year.
The second highlight-reel goal came at 50:07. Jad Arslan scored his second goal of the season on a header. Piatczyc recorded an assist on a shot that hit the crossbar, and Arslan was perfectly positioned to catch the rebound with his head and send the ball into the back of the net.
In the 71st minute, SFU scored its first goal of the game, but the Mountaineers answered right back four minutes later. Stephenson, the reigning Mid-American Conference Player of the Week, scored his second goal of his career and the second in as many games. He scored after a deflection off a SFU player on Piatczyc’s corner kick.
SFU scored on a penalty kick in the 89th minute for the final goal of the game.
In goal, freshman Alec Boerner had four saves to earn his second career victory. WVU had 16 shots to SFU’s 10, and WVU had five shots on goal and SFU had six.
WVU’s roadtrip continues at Virginia Tech on Tuesday, October 6 at 7 p.m. The Mountaineers return home to begin conference play vs. Western Michigan on Friday, October 9. Kickoff has been moved 30 minutes later, to 7:30 p.m., at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
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