Mountaineers Host No. 18/RV Georgetown Sunday
September 19, 2015 01:23 PM | Men's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University men’s soccer team hosts its first ranked opponent of the season on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m., when it welcomes No. 18/RV Georgetown to Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
The Mountaineers (2-4-0) look to extend their home winning streak to three matches as they face their second ranked opponent of the year. WVU takes on the Hoyas (2-2-2) for the second time since 2011, the last matchup between the two teams as Big East Conference foes.
“Georgetown is one of the best teams in the country, they’re a lot of peoples’ favorites to go to the national championship this year,” WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. “We’ll have our work cut out for us with a very, very good team, but at the end of the day, we determine our success based on our performance.
“We’ve gotten into a better place in terms of our consistencies and our attacks, we’re creating a lot more opportunities and we are putting ourselves in situations to score more goals. We’re doing a better job defensively.”
Sunday is a “Dollar Day,” and all tickets and select concession items are available for $1 each. Tickets can be purchased in advance at WVUGAME.com or 1-800-WVU GAME. Admission is free for WVU students with a valid ID.
Additionally, the WVU racecar will be outside of the stadium on Sunday, and Mr. Twister will be doing face painting & balloon animals. Sunday is a WVU soccer doubleheader, as the No. 4/7 WVU women’s team faces Florida Gulf Coast at 1 p.m.
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.
Due to the Morgantown Marathon on Sunday, several parking changes will be in place. Fans are only permitted to park in the lower Shell/Natatorium lot/Band lot, adjacent to the track. This lot will only be accessible off Monongahela Blvd. on Sunday. Parking and access to the upper Coliseum parking lots from the Patteson Drive and Evansdale Drive/Arboretum entrances will be prohibited.
The Morgantown Marathon and Half Marathon will start from the Coliseum parking lot at 7 a.m. Sunday. The finish line also is located in the Coliseum parking lot. A post-race celebration will be held in the Coliseum parking lot following the race at 11 a.m. A diagram of parking arrangements for Sunday, as well important links regarding the Marathon’s routes and schedule, can be found at WVUsports.com.
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.
SCOUTING GEORGETOWN
Georgetown comes to Morgantown with a 2-2-2 record. The Hoyas are undefeated in their last three matches after a 3-1 upset win over No. 1/2 UCLA, a 5-2 victory over Radford and a 2-2 draw at VCU on Thursday. GU is ranked No. 18 in the latest College Soccer News rankings and is receiving votes in the NSCAA Coaches Poll.
Georgetown, a former conference foe of the Mountaineers in the Big East, is led by 10th-year head coach Brian Wiese. With a 104-61-24 record, Wiese routinely has the Hoyas among the nation’s best.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE HOYAS
Sunday will be the 18th meeting between WVU and GU and the first since 2013. The Mountaineers are 5-12 vs. the Hoyas, but they are 4-4 at home. In its last season in the Big East, West Virginia posted a 1-0 win in Morgantown in 2011. Georgetown claimed the last matchup, 3-0 in Washington, D.C. in 2013.
LAST TIME VS. GU
In 2013, Georgetown came away with a 3-0 victory in Washington, D.C. GU’s Brandon Allen scored in the 14th and 19th minutes. WVU let in one goal in the second half in the 63rd minute, where they played the final 37 minutes a man down.
UP NEXT: VS. UNC GREENSBORO
West Virginia stays at home to face UNC Greensboro on Saturday, Sept. 26. Kickoff between WVU and UNC Greensboro has been set for noon, before the 3 p.m. home football game.
LAST TIME OUT: AT WRIGHT STATE
West Virginia lost to Wright State, 3-1 on Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio. Senior Ryan Cain scored his team-leading fifth goal for the Mountaineers in the first half, but the Raiders answered with three goals after the intermission.
WVU posted nine shots in the game, three on goal. WSU had 11 shots, five on goal. Junior goaltender Daniel Diaz notched one save in the contest, while Wright State’s Tyler Blackmer also had one.
Cain scored the Mountaineers’ goal at 20:38. The senior converted from five yards out after receiving a pass from sophomore Joey Piatczyc. Senior Jamie Merriam was also credited with an assist after he had two touches before sending the ball to Piatczyc, who also touched it twice before Cain scored.
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