Record-Tying Defense Helps No. 24 WVU to 1-0 Win

Saturday, September 3

Morgantown, W.Va.

7:00 p.m.

West Virginia University

2-1

Princeton

0-1

Team	1	2	Final F
Princeton	0	0	0
West Virginia	1	0	1

Stephenson_Main_101215.png

September 03, 2016 10:29 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Princeton Tigers

0-1

Final

24 West Virginia Mountaineers

2-1

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 24 West Virginia University men's soccer team held Princeton to just one shot on its way to a 1-0 victory on Saturday night at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

Sophomore midfielder Tucker Stephenson netted his second goal in as many matches and the defense put up record-tying numbers to lead the Mountaineers (2-1) to their second consecutive win on the young season.

WVU held the Tigers (0-1) to one shot in the match and no shots on goal. It marks the third time in program history that WVU has held the opposition to just one shot in a contest and the first since 1994. Princeton's zero shots on goal also ties a WVU record, set on seven previous occasions, including in last Sunday's upset win over No. 7 Georgetown.

Stephenson's goal, his second of the season and fourth of his career, came in the 43rd minute on a set piece. A free kick was awarded to the Mountaineers about 30 yards out on the left side. Junior midfielder Joey Piatczyc sent the kick into the box, directly to Stephenson who headed it in.

“We're mixing and matching Tucker's role a little bit,” WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. “I think we're a little bit deeper, which allows us to utilize him in some different ways. The last two games, he's come off the bench twice and found the game winner for us. I know Tucker's not happy coming off the bench, but if this is the magical formula for him to score goals at this rate in must-win games, so be it. To his credit, he's bought in to what we want to do with him and he's found a way to impact the game coming off the bench for us.”

Stephenson finished with a team-high four shots, and the only shot on goal of the match. Piatczyc and senior defender Jack Elliott both had three shots in the contest. WVU held a 14-1 advantage in shots and a 1-0 edge in shots on goal.

“We created a bunch of opportunities well before Tucker scored that we wish we could probably have back,” LeBlanc added. “I thought we opened the pitch up a lot, we had a lot of the ball from left to right, which made it hard for them to match us. On nights like tonight when we're passing the ball so well and we're moving, we are very difficult to defend against and I think that's why some of those challenges came in that were a little bit late. We end up being the benefactor of some big decisions.”

The Mountaineers came out strong early in the match, when Piatczyc got the first opportunity on a free kick, which was headed out by a Princeton defender. The ball then came right to sophomore Rushawn Larmond, but his header went right over the crossbar.

Both teams came out in the second half playing very aggressively, which resulted in several cards being shown. In the first 15 minutes of the half, Princeton was issued two red cards and a yellow card, while WVU was shown three yellow cards. In the match, a total of 10 cards were issued, five to each team. Princeton had 17 fouls to West Virginia's 11.

Late in the game, the Mountaineers had an opportunity to add to their lead, as freshman midfielder Sebastian Herreros raced down the line on a breakaway. With a defender trailing closely behind him, Herreros took the ball into the box and sent a shot in that hit the crossbar. The ball was cleared by Princeton, eliminating any chance of a rebound opportunity for West Virginia and helping to seal the 1-0 final.

WVU's homestand continues on Friday, Sept. 9, as the Mountaineers host ETSU at 7 p.m. ET. The True Blue match will feature a foam finger giveaway, and all fans are encouraged to wear their favorite WVU blue gear to Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. For fans unable to attend the match, a free live stream, courtesy of CityNet, and live stats can be found on WVUSports.com.

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.