Mountaineers Host JMU Friday at DDSS
September 10, 2015 04:58 PM | Men's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University men’s soccer team returns home to host James Madison on Friday, September 11. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
Friday’s match is Faculty-Staff Night. Faculty and staff have received a coupon in their e-mail via E-News for free admission. The first 250 Mountaineer Maniacs to enter Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium will receive a pair of sunglasses. 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 Caroline Szwed will be on the call. Live stats can be found at WVULiveStats.com, and updates will also be available on social media by following and connecting with @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
West Virginia enters the weekend with a 1-3-0 record after a tough, 1-0 loss in overtime at No. 22 Michigan State on Monday. JMU owns a 0-2-1 mark following a 2-0 loss at Penn State on Tuesday.
“I think our mindset is good,” coach Marlon LeBlanc said. “I’m pleased with our mentality, and we’ll rebound just fine [on Friday]. It’s a long season, we’re only four games in, but my hope is that we’ll rebound here [against JMU] and get on the right side of things. The goal is to have a good September, and we can still do that by finishing strong here. It all starts with JMU.”
The Mountaineers hope the friendly confines of Dick Dlesk Stadium can help spur on that good September. Three of WVU’s next four matches, all in September, are at home. West Virginia is 37-11-3 since 2010 at Dick Dlesk.
WVU is fifth in the country and second in the Mid-American Conference with 2.75 assist per game. The 11 assists on the year are also fifth in the NCAA and third in the conference. The Mountaineers are also 17th in total points with 25.
Individually, sophomore Joey Piatczyc leads the nation with five assists on the season. Senior Zak Leedom’s two assists is 36th in the NCAA and sixth in the MAC. Seniors Ryan Cain and Jamie Merriam have both netted two goals on the year, tied for fifth in the league and 49th nationally.
SCOUTING JAMES MADISON
James Madison comes to Morgantown with an 0-2-1 record after a 2-0 loss at Penn State on Tuesday. The Dukes opened the year with a 1-1 tie at home to Iona before a 1-0 loss to Dayton.
Tom Foley is in his first season as head coach. An assistant from 1997-2003 and JMU’s associate head coach from 2009-14, Foley replaces Dr. Tom Martin, who led JMU for 29 years.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE DUKES
Friday will be the ninth meeting between WVU and JMU and the fourth in Morgantown. The Mountaineers are 2-6 all-time against the Dukes, including a 4-3 double-overtime road loss last season.
LAST TIME VS. JMU
Last year, West Virginia dropped a double overtime match at James Madison, 4-3. Ryan Cain netted a hat trick in the loss.
WVU scored twice in the opening 6:23, but JMU answered with three goals in the next 10:35 before scoring in the 105th minute.
Cain scored at 5:03 and again at 6:23 before he completed the hat trick at 56:44. JMU’s three regulation goals all came early in the first half, in the ninth, 15th and 17th minutes.
UP NEXT: AT WRIGHT STATE
West Virginia is back on the road on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at Wright State at 7 p.m. The match will be streamed on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
LAST TIME OUT: MICHIGAN ROADTRIP
WVU took to the road for a pair of matches against Big Ten foes. The Mountaineers lost to Michigan, 3-1, on Sept. 4 before a 1-0 overtime loss at No. 22 Michigan State on Sept. 7.
At Michigan, senior midfielder Ryan Cain scored his second goal of the season in the 84th minute. The goal came on a header at 83:26 after a corner kick by sophomore Joey Piatczyc. It was Cain’s second goal in as many games, and his two goals on the year are tied for the team lead. After a record four-assist match on Aug. 30, Piatczyc now leads the team with five assists in 2015 … West Virginia played a strong second half, with 12 of 13 shots and all five shots on goal after the intermission.
Three days later at Michigan State, the Mountaineers suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss on a penalty kick in overtime. On a hot, sun-filled day, the Mountaineers played right alongside the 22nd-ranked Spartans for 96 minutes. It was WVU’s first top-25 opponent of the season. The winning goal came in the 96th minute by Zach Carroll. The penalty kick came as a result of a foul called on WVU in the box. Both the Mountaineers and Spartans had several scoring chances throughout regulation. WVU had 12 shots, five on goal, while MSU had 13 shots, seven on goal. Junior goaltender Daniel Diaz posted a season-best six saves, with four coming in the second half. MSU’s Zach Bennett recorded five saves. West Virginia’s best scoring opportunity came in the 64th minute when sophomore Joey Piatczyc and senior Jamie Merriam each hit the post on consecutive shots.
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