WVU Shuts Out Pitt in Exhibition

Tuesday, August 16

Morgantown, W.Va.

2:30 p.m.

West Virginia University

Pitt (Exh.)

Main-MSOC-Pitt-081616.jpg

August 16, 2016 06:04 PM | Men's Soccer

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University men's soccer team used a pair of late goals to shut out Pitt, 2-0, on Tuesday afternoon in exhibition action.

In front of 873 fans on a warm afternoon at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, the Mountaineers earned a Backyard Brawl victory thanks to goals by senior Jack Elliott and sophomore Rushawn Larmond and a strong defensive showing in front of junior goalkeepers Stephen Banick and Jose Santos.

“We had a lot of the ball for a lot of the game, we made an impression on the match right from the start,” WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. “There's more I want from it, but for the most part we really shut them down and had a lot of the ball. It's a good first outing, but we have to get better.

“We had a huge crowd for an exhibition match. The Backyard Brawl on a perfect Tuesday afternoon in Fall Fest, everything came together. Our guys get great student support. I'm really proud of our student section coming out today and really getting into the game. I'm more pleased that we got to send them home with a win in the Backyard Brawl and get people excited for the regular-season opener.”

Elliott gave WVU a 1-0 lead in the 69th minute. West Virginia added to its lead in the 87th minute, as Larmond found the back of the net.

The exhibition portion of the Mountaineers' season continues when they travel to Loyola (Md.) on Saturday, Aug. 20, West Virginia concludes its exhibition slate at home against in-state foe Charleston on Tuesday, August 23, at 7 p.m.

The regular season begins with a pair of neutral site contests against two top-15 opponents in Akron, Ohio. On Friday, Aug. 26, WVU faces No. 14 Seattle before taking on No. 10 Georgetown on Aug. 28. The Mountaineers' home opener is slated for Saturday, Sept. 3 against Princeton at 7 p.m.

The complete 2016 WVU men' soccer schedule can be found here.

WVU Soccer Scarf ticket packages are now on sale and includes the official 2016 WVU Soccer fan scarf and 10 tickets to be used at any men's or women's home matches during the regular season. Packages are just $30 and are available while supplies last. To order, visit WVUGAME.com or call 1-800-WVU GAME. More information is available on WVUSports.com.

Additionally, single-game tickets for all nine regular-season home matches are now on sale at WVUGAME.com or by calling 1-800-WVU-GAME.

For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.