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Mountaineers Head to Wright State Tuesday
September 14, 2015 05:07 PM | Men's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University men’s soccer team takes to the road to face Wright State on Tuesday, September 15 at 7 p.m. in Dayton, Ohio.
The Mountaineers (2-3-0) will look to win their second consecutive match after a six goal output on Friday, while the Raiders (4-1-0) aim for their third win in a row.
Fans unable to cheer on the Mountaineers in person can watch a live stream on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. Live stats can be found at WSURaiders.com, and updates will also be available on social media by following and connecting with @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Tuesday’s matchup at Alumni Field in Dayton will be the seventh contest between the two teams. WVU holds a 4-2-0 edge, but all four wins have come in Morgantown. WSU’s two wins came at home, in 1989 and 2000.
“We have great respect for a really good Wright State team,” coach Marlon LeBlanc said. “We look forward to the challenge ahead in playing a good team on the road.”
WVU is coming off a 6-2 victory over James Madison on Friday. The Mountaineers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first 2:14 and never looked back. The JMU goaltender earned a red card early in the second minute, which helped jumpstart the WVU offensive attack.
Ryan Cain netted two goals in the match on four shots. The senior was rewarded by being named the WVU Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by University Apartments. It is the second Student-Athlete of the Week accolade for the men’s soccer team after sophomore Joey Piatczyc earned the honor on August 31.
WVU is third in the country with 3.20 assist per game. The 16 assists on the year are also fourth in the NCAA and third in the Mid-American Conference. The Mountaineers are also eighth nationally and first in the conference in scoring offense at 2.60 and eighth in total goals with 13.
Individually, sophomore Joey Piatczyc is second in the nation with six assists on the season. Senior Zak Leedom’s three assists is 15th in the NCAA and sixth in the MAC. Cain has four goals on the year, 15th nationally and second in the league.
SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE
Wright State is 4-1 on the season, with shutout victories in its last two contests. WSU opened the year with a 2-0 win over Binghamton and a 2-1 victory against Cal State Fullerton in Columbus, Ohio. After a 2-0 loss at No. 17 Kentucky, the Raiders beat Cincinnati 3-0 and won at Eastern Illinois, 2-0 on Sept. 12.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE RAIDERS
Tuesday will be the seventh meeting between WVU and WSU and the third match in Dayton. The Mountaineers’ only two losses came on the road, 1-0 in 1989 and 2-0 in 2000. West Virginia won the last two contests, 3-0 in 2005 and 2-1 in 2013.
LAST TIME VS. WSU
In 2013, WVU posted a 2-1, comeback victory over WSU. The Raiders went ahead 1-0 in the 17th minute, but the Mountaineers responded with a goal by Andy Bevin in the 24th minute to tie the match. Majed Osman notched the game-winner for WVU in the 70th minute.
UP NEXT: VS. GEORGETOWN
West Virginia returns home to host Georgetown on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. It is the first of a two match homestand for the Mountaineers, as they host UNC Greensboro on Saturday, Sept. 26. Kickoff between WVU and UNC Greensboro has now been set for noon, before the 3 p.m. home football game.
LAST TIME OUT: WIN OVER JMU
The WVU men’s soccer team posted a 6-2 win over James Madison on Sept. 11. The win was the second time this season WVU responded to a 1-0 loss with a six goal showing the following match. The Mountaineers jumped out with two goals in the first 2:14, thanks to an early red card on the JMU goaltender.
WVU played nearly the entire game with a man advantage after the JMU goaltender received a red card in the box at 1:07. Sophomore Jad Arslan took advantage on the PK to put WVU ahead, 1-0. One minute and seven seconds later, senior Ryan Cain netted his first goal of the game on a shot inside the box on the right side to put give West Virginia a 2-0 lead.
After JMU got to within one, West Virginia responded right back with a goal by Cain just 48 seconds later. Freshman Rushawn Larmond netted his second goal of the season at 38:28 to give the Mountaineers a 4-1 lead going into halftime. Junior Jack Elliott gave the Mountaineers a 5-1 edge at 55:00 when he scored his first goal of the year.
JMU scored in the 76th minute before WVU answered three minutes later. Credited as an own goal, Larmond sent a shot in off a free kick that deflected off of a James Madison defender into the back of the net.
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