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Mountaineers Drop Opener to Navy, 1-0
August 28, 2015 10:37 PM | Men's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In front of a near-capacity crowd of 1,442, the West Virginia University men’s soccer team suffered a 1-0 loss to Navy to open the 2015 season Friday at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
Junior goaltender Daniel Diaz made six saves in his WVU debut. Navy scored the game’s lone goal on a header off of a free kick in the 76th minute.
“[Daniel] made two good saves in the first half, their keeper made two good saves as well,” coach Marlon LeBlanc said. “It was a set piece that did us in. Free man and three [of our players] not challenging for the ball in the air and [Thomas Moore] buries it. He took his chance well. All credit to Navy, they’re a good team. They had to run a play.”
The Mountaineers have a quick turnaround before they return to the pitch to face San Francisco on Sunday at 12 p.m. at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. The match caps the season opening homestand and is the only time this season West Virginia will play twice in three days.
WVU had several chances early on Friday, first in the eighth minute when junior midfielder Jack Elliott’s shot from inside the box was saved by Navy goalie Jackson Morgan. It was the first of four saves for Morgan on the night.
Less than five minutes later, sophomore midfielder Joey Piatczyc sent a shot just wide of the net off a beautiful cross from sophomore defenseman Louis Thomas.
The Mountaineers had another scoring opportunity in the 37th minute when midfielder Jamie Merriam’s header went just wide. The senior picked up the cross, but the diving header could not find the back of the net. It was the third shot of the game for Merriam, who registered a shot on goal in the 33rd minute.
At the half, WVU held a 9-8 advantage in shots, but Navy had a 5-3 edge in shots on goal.
In the second half, neither team could register an offensive opportunity until Navy found the back of the net in the 76th minute. Moore’s header came at 75:43 off of a free kick from P.J. Suess from the right side.
West Virginia nearly scored the equalizer in the 82nd minute when midfielder Zion Gray had a header off of a corner kick that sailed high.
Both teams finished the night with 12 shots, with seven shots on goal by the Midshipmen and four by the Mountaineers.
Along with Elliott and Merriam, senior midfielder Ryan Cain and sophomore forward Heath Honold each had a shot on goal. Cain tallied three shots in the season opener.
“Great crowd tonight, they were the best ones out here,” LeBlanc said. “We are disappointed that we let them down tonight. They deserve better, and our team knows they deserve better. We’ll do everything in our power to make sure that they get better next time.”
Sunday’s match against San Francisco is the first “Dollar Days” of the season, with all tickets and select concessions available for $1. The team will host a postgame clinic for all kids 13 and under. Tickets can be purchased in advance at WVUGAME.com or 1-800-WVU GAME. Admission is free for WVU students with a valid ID.
Fans unable to cheer on the Mountaineers in person can watch a live stream on WVUsports.com, presented by CityNet. DJ Jamiel and Adam Zundell will be on the call. Live stats can be found at WVULiveStats.com, and updated will also be available on social media by following @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
For students, a free shuttle bus will be available from the Mountainlair and the Brooke/Braxton Towers loop for an hour leading up to Sunday’s start time. Return service to the Mountainlair and the Brooke/Braxton Towers loop also will be available for an hour at the conclusion of the match.
Sunday marks the first meeting between West Virginia and San Francisco. The Mountaineers are 0-0-1 all-time against current West Coast Conference members after a 1-1 draw with Loyola Marymount in 2005.
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