Friday, August 25
Berkeley, Calif.
7:30 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
California
Photo by: Steven Prunty
Season Commences with Trip to California
August 24, 2017 07:51 PM | Men's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University men's soccer team begins the 2017 season with a pair of contests in California this weekend. The season kicks off at Cal on Friday, Aug. 25, at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, before WVU travels to face Santa Clara on Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.
Fans unable to cheer on the Mountaineers in person can follow live stats of both matches and watch a live stream of Sunday's match, and those links can be found on the men's soccer schedule page on WVUSports.com. Additional updates, news and notes from Northern California will be available on social media by following and connecting with @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The season-opening trip to California marks WVU's first-ever matches against Cal and Santa Clara. In the program's 57-year history, West Virginia has never faced a team from the Pac 12 Conference.
Coming off an 8-7-1 season in 2016, the Mountaineers opened preseason training on August 8 and held their annual Gold/Blue Intrasquad on Aug. 13. WVU faced Charleston in a pair of exhibition matches on Saturday, with West Virginia winning the first contest, 1-0, before a 0-0 draw in the second game.
WVU returns nine starters from last year's squad and adds 12 newcomers to the roster. After winning his 100th game at West Virginia last year, LeBlanc begins his 12th season at the helm in 2017.
SCOUTING CAL
Cal is coming off a 5-11-2 season in 2016. The Golden Bears went 1-9-1 in the Pac 12 Conference and were 3-6-1 at home. Cal posted a 1-9-1 record against top-25 opponents, highlighted by a 2-1 victory at No. 24 UCLA in late October.
The Golden Bears are under the direction of Kevin Grimes, in his 18th season in Berkeley. He owns a 178-115-40 record and has earned five conference Coach of the Year honors.
SCOUTING SANTA CLARA
Santa Clara went 5-10-1 in 2016 and 0-6-1 in the West Coast Conference. The Broncos posted a 2-3 mark at home, with wins over UC Irvine and San Jose State.
Cameron Rast begins his 16th season at his alma mater, having posted a record of 153-90-45. He has led the Broncos to seven NCAA Tournaments and five conference titles in his tenure.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BEARS & BRONCOS
This weekend's matchups at Cal and Santa Clara marks the first time in team history WVU has faced either team. The Mountaineers have never faced a current member of the Pac 12 Conference, while they are 1-0-1 all-time against current West Coast Conference teams.
UP NEXT: HOME OPENER
West Virginia returns home to host Wright State on Friday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. ET. The home opener at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium is a Dollar Day, with all tickets and select concession items available for just $1. Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com, 1-800-WVU GAME or on gameday at the DDSS ticket office.
LAST YEAR ON OPENING WEEKEND
WVU began the 2016 season at the Akron Classic in Akron, Ohio against a pair of ranked teams. After falling to No. 9 Seattle in the season opener on Aug. 26, West Virginia earned a 1-0 upset victory over No. 7 Georgetown two days later.
Seventh-ranked GU was the highest-ranked team West Virginia had beaten since taking down No. 1 UConn at home in 2011. The win was WVU's first against a top-10 foe since the Mountaineers won at No. 8 Indiana in 2013 and the first neutral-site ranked win since 2011 against No. 11 Virginia.
The Mountaineer defense held the Hoyas to just three shots, none on goal. It marked the seventh time in program history West Virginia allowed no shots on goal and the 20th time an opposing team had three or fewer shots against WVU.
WVU Soccer Scarf ticket packages are now on sale, which includes the official 2017 WVU soccer scarf and 10 tickets to be used at any men's or women's soccer match during the 2017 regular season. Packages are just $30 and are available while supplies last. To order, visit WVUGAME.com or call 1-800-WVU GAME.
Additionally, single game tickets for all 10 of WVU's regular-season home matches are now on sale at WVUGAME.com or by calling 1-800-WVU GAME. The complete 2017 WVU men's soccer schedule, with match times, can be found here. All dates and times are subject to change, and fans are encouraged to stay tuned to WVUSports.com for updates.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Fans unable to cheer on the Mountaineers in person can follow live stats of both matches and watch a live stream of Sunday's match, and those links can be found on the men's soccer schedule page on WVUSports.com. Additional updates, news and notes from Northern California will be available on social media by following and connecting with @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The season-opening trip to California marks WVU's first-ever matches against Cal and Santa Clara. In the program's 57-year history, West Virginia has never faced a team from the Pac 12 Conference.
Coming off an 8-7-1 season in 2016, the Mountaineers opened preseason training on August 8 and held their annual Gold/Blue Intrasquad on Aug. 13. WVU faced Charleston in a pair of exhibition matches on Saturday, with West Virginia winning the first contest, 1-0, before a 0-0 draw in the second game.
WVU returns nine starters from last year's squad and adds 12 newcomers to the roster. After winning his 100th game at West Virginia last year, LeBlanc begins his 12th season at the helm in 2017.
SCOUTING CAL
Cal is coming off a 5-11-2 season in 2016. The Golden Bears went 1-9-1 in the Pac 12 Conference and were 3-6-1 at home. Cal posted a 1-9-1 record against top-25 opponents, highlighted by a 2-1 victory at No. 24 UCLA in late October.
The Golden Bears are under the direction of Kevin Grimes, in his 18th season in Berkeley. He owns a 178-115-40 record and has earned five conference Coach of the Year honors.
SCOUTING SANTA CLARA
Santa Clara went 5-10-1 in 2016 and 0-6-1 in the West Coast Conference. The Broncos posted a 2-3 mark at home, with wins over UC Irvine and San Jose State.
Cameron Rast begins his 16th season at his alma mater, having posted a record of 153-90-45. He has led the Broncos to seven NCAA Tournaments and five conference titles in his tenure.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BEARS & BRONCOS
This weekend's matchups at Cal and Santa Clara marks the first time in team history WVU has faced either team. The Mountaineers have never faced a current member of the Pac 12 Conference, while they are 1-0-1 all-time against current West Coast Conference teams.
UP NEXT: HOME OPENER
West Virginia returns home to host Wright State on Friday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. ET. The home opener at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium is a Dollar Day, with all tickets and select concession items available for just $1. Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com, 1-800-WVU GAME or on gameday at the DDSS ticket office.
LAST YEAR ON OPENING WEEKEND
WVU began the 2016 season at the Akron Classic in Akron, Ohio against a pair of ranked teams. After falling to No. 9 Seattle in the season opener on Aug. 26, West Virginia earned a 1-0 upset victory over No. 7 Georgetown two days later.
Seventh-ranked GU was the highest-ranked team West Virginia had beaten since taking down No. 1 UConn at home in 2011. The win was WVU's first against a top-10 foe since the Mountaineers won at No. 8 Indiana in 2013 and the first neutral-site ranked win since 2011 against No. 11 Virginia.
The Mountaineer defense held the Hoyas to just three shots, none on goal. It marked the seventh time in program history West Virginia allowed no shots on goal and the 20th time an opposing team had three or fewer shots against WVU.
WVU Soccer Scarf ticket packages are now on sale, which includes the official 2017 WVU soccer scarf and 10 tickets to be used at any men's or women's soccer match during the 2017 regular season. Packages are just $30 and are available while supplies last. To order, visit WVUGAME.com or call 1-800-WVU GAME.
Additionally, single game tickets for all 10 of WVU's regular-season home matches are now on sale at WVUGAME.com or by calling 1-800-WVU GAME. The complete 2017 WVU men's soccer schedule, with match times, can be found here. All dates and times are subject to change, and fans are encouraged to stay tuned to WVUSports.com for updates.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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