Saturday, October 20
Morgantown, W.Va.
7:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
SIU Edwardsville
First Place At Stake as WVU Hosts No. 20 SIUE Saturday
October 19, 2018 10:18 AM | Men's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Winners of seven of its last nine, the West Virginia University men's soccer team hosts No. 204 SIU Edwardsville on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. ET, at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
WVU enters the third weekend of conference play in first place in the Mid-American Conference with a 2-0-0 record and six points, while SIUE is tied for second place with a 1-0-1 record and four points.
Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com or by calling 1-800 WVU GAME. Single match tickets are $5 each and $3 for groups of 10 or more when purchased in advance at WVUGAME.com. At the Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium ticket window, tickets will be $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups. The discounted online pricing will be available until kickoff of the match. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to avoid lines at the gate on game day. Tickets for WVU students are free with a valid student I.D.
It is Military and First Responders Night, where military or first responders can show their I.D. and receive free admission. A Touch-A-Truck event will take place outside of DDSS, with various first responders vehicles on site. Additionally, it is Kids Club Day.
To provide a safer environment for Mountaineer fans and to expedite entry into all ticketed WVU athletic events, the West Virginia Department of Intercollegiate Athletics enforces the NFL's Clear Bag Policy. The athletic department invites and encourages fans to visit WVUsports.com/clearbag for more information, to view pictures of permissible and non-permissible items and to obtain answers to frequently asked questions about the clear bag policy.
The match will be streamed live for free on WVUsports.com/Watch and the WVU Gameday App, while fans also can watch the stream live via Roku and Apple TV by searching for the "West Virginia Mountaineers" channel. Live stats will be available at WVUsports.com/Stats. Direct links to the video stream and live stats can be found on the men's soccer schedule page on WVUsports.com. Additional updates, news and notes will be available on social media by following and connecting with @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
"Every game is big," WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. "It's crunch time, and the games only get harder from here on out, and that's not to say anything disparaging against our previous opponents, but the stakes get higher every game that you move on in the season. We've got a lot to play for. SIUE is a great opponent, they're well-coached, they score a lot of goals, they're dangerous, they do everything right. We're going to have a heck of a challenge with a top-20 opponent in Morgantown. We're going to have to be at our best to beat them."
The Mountaineers (9-5-0, 2-0-0 MAC) rank No. 17 nationally with 29 total assists, while WVU also leads the conference in points (75). West Virginia is second in the MAC in goals (23), goals per game (1.64) and shots on goal per game (6.21). In goal, WVU leads the league in saves per game (4.07) and save percentage (.803), while it is second in goals-against average (0.998).
The Cougars (9-1-3, 1-0-1 MAC) are ranked No. 20 in this week's College Soccer News poll, No. 24 in the Soccer America rankings, and receiving votes in both the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 and the TopDrawerSoccer.com rankings. SIUE is tied with WVU for second in the conference in goals (23) and is third in shots on goal per game (5.79). The Cougars lead the league in goals-against average (0.863) and shutouts (6), and they are second in saves per game (3.43) and save percentage (.787).
Senior midfielder Joey Piatczyc, the reigning MAC Player of the Week, ranks No. 22 in the NCAA with three game-winning goals, and he is third in the league with 1.09 points per game. Junior midfielder Sebastian Garcia-Herreros is No. 25 nationally with six assists. Piatczyc joins junior defenders Pascal Derwaritsch and Ryan Kellogg with a team-best four goals. Additionally, junior midfielder Andres Muriel Albino is third in the conference in shot accuracy (.567) and fifth in shots on goal per game (1.31).
In goal, sophomore Steven Tekesky ranks No. 23 nationally with a MAC-best 56 total saves, while he also paces the league in minutes played (1255:36), save percentage (.800) and saves per game (4.00). His five shutouts are second in the conference, and his 1.004 goals-against average is third. Additionally, Tekesky's eight career shutouts rank No. 9 all-time in WVU program history.
SCOUTING SIU EDWARDSVILLE
SIU Edwardsville is 9-1-4 on the season and 3-0-3 away from home. The Cougars are coming off a scoreless draw at Evansville on Tuesday. SIUE opened MAC play with a 3-2, double-overtime win over NIU and a 1-1 draw to Western Michigan, both at home.
Lachlan McLean leads the team with nine goals, four assists, 22 points and 53 shots, while Jorge Gonzalez is second with seven goals and 15 points. In goal, Noah Heim has played every minute and owns a .776 save percentage with a 0.86 goals-against average. He has made 45 saves, allowed 13 goals and has six shutouts.
Mario Sanchez is in his fourth season at SIUE and owns a 38-20-14 record in Edwardsville. He is 62-61-24 in eight years as a head coach. He guided the Cougars to an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance and Missouri Valley Tournament title in 2016.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE COUGARS
West Virginia is 1-0 all-time against SIUE, following a 2-1 overtime win on the road last year in the Cougars' first year in the MAC. Garcia-Herreros scored the game-winner in the 98th minute, and Albert Andres-Llop and Rushawn Larmond earned assists. Larmond gave WVU a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick in the 25th minute, while Tekesky made two saves.
UP NEXT: BACKYARD BRAWL
Up next, West Virginia hosts Pitt in the Backyard Brawl on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. ET, at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com or by calling 1-800 WVU GAME. The match is part of Mountaineer Week, and there will be a Maniacs giveaway for students and a student raffle for a sideline pass to the Baylor football game. The second-to-last home contest of the regular season also is the final Taco Tuesday of the season, with $2 walking tacos.
LAST TIME OUT: OT WIN AT AKRON
Piatczyc tied the match with 13 seconds left in regulation and scored the game-winner three minutes into overtime to propel West Virginia to a 2-1 victory at Akron on Oct. 13.
The Mountaineers trailed 1-0 12 minutes into the second half but responded with an offensive attack that resulted in Piatczyc's game-tying goal at 89:47. The game-winner came at 92:27. Following Akron's goal in the 57th minute, WVU out-shot the Zips, 10-1.
Senior midfielder Jorge Quintanilla and junior midfielder Logan Lucas picked up their first assists of the year, while Tekesky earned his second. Piatczyc, Lucas and sophomore defender Kevin Morris all had three shots, while Piatczyc led the team with three shots on goal.
In goal, Tekesky made three saves, all in the first half. Akron's Ben Lundt stopped five shots, all in the second half. The Mountaineers out-shot the Zips, 15-9, and had eight shots on goal to Akron's four. WVU held a 10-3 advantage in shots in the second half.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
WVU enters the third weekend of conference play in first place in the Mid-American Conference with a 2-0-0 record and six points, while SIUE is tied for second place with a 1-0-1 record and four points.
Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com or by calling 1-800 WVU GAME. Single match tickets are $5 each and $3 for groups of 10 or more when purchased in advance at WVUGAME.com. At the Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium ticket window, tickets will be $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups. The discounted online pricing will be available until kickoff of the match. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to avoid lines at the gate on game day. Tickets for WVU students are free with a valid student I.D.
It is Military and First Responders Night, where military or first responders can show their I.D. and receive free admission. A Touch-A-Truck event will take place outside of DDSS, with various first responders vehicles on site. Additionally, it is Kids Club Day.
To provide a safer environment for Mountaineer fans and to expedite entry into all ticketed WVU athletic events, the West Virginia Department of Intercollegiate Athletics enforces the NFL's Clear Bag Policy. The athletic department invites and encourages fans to visit WVUsports.com/clearbag for more information, to view pictures of permissible and non-permissible items and to obtain answers to frequently asked questions about the clear bag policy.
The match will be streamed live for free on WVUsports.com/Watch and the WVU Gameday App, while fans also can watch the stream live via Roku and Apple TV by searching for the "West Virginia Mountaineers" channel. Live stats will be available at WVUsports.com/Stats. Direct links to the video stream and live stats can be found on the men's soccer schedule page on WVUsports.com. Additional updates, news and notes will be available on social media by following and connecting with @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
"Every game is big," WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. "It's crunch time, and the games only get harder from here on out, and that's not to say anything disparaging against our previous opponents, but the stakes get higher every game that you move on in the season. We've got a lot to play for. SIUE is a great opponent, they're well-coached, they score a lot of goals, they're dangerous, they do everything right. We're going to have a heck of a challenge with a top-20 opponent in Morgantown. We're going to have to be at our best to beat them."
The Mountaineers (9-5-0, 2-0-0 MAC) rank No. 17 nationally with 29 total assists, while WVU also leads the conference in points (75). West Virginia is second in the MAC in goals (23), goals per game (1.64) and shots on goal per game (6.21). In goal, WVU leads the league in saves per game (4.07) and save percentage (.803), while it is second in goals-against average (0.998).
The Cougars (9-1-3, 1-0-1 MAC) are ranked No. 20 in this week's College Soccer News poll, No. 24 in the Soccer America rankings, and receiving votes in both the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 and the TopDrawerSoccer.com rankings. SIUE is tied with WVU for second in the conference in goals (23) and is third in shots on goal per game (5.79). The Cougars lead the league in goals-against average (0.863) and shutouts (6), and they are second in saves per game (3.43) and save percentage (.787).
Senior midfielder Joey Piatczyc, the reigning MAC Player of the Week, ranks No. 22 in the NCAA with three game-winning goals, and he is third in the league with 1.09 points per game. Junior midfielder Sebastian Garcia-Herreros is No. 25 nationally with six assists. Piatczyc joins junior defenders Pascal Derwaritsch and Ryan Kellogg with a team-best four goals. Additionally, junior midfielder Andres Muriel Albino is third in the conference in shot accuracy (.567) and fifth in shots on goal per game (1.31).
In goal, sophomore Steven Tekesky ranks No. 23 nationally with a MAC-best 56 total saves, while he also paces the league in minutes played (1255:36), save percentage (.800) and saves per game (4.00). His five shutouts are second in the conference, and his 1.004 goals-against average is third. Additionally, Tekesky's eight career shutouts rank No. 9 all-time in WVU program history.
SCOUTING SIU EDWARDSVILLE
SIU Edwardsville is 9-1-4 on the season and 3-0-3 away from home. The Cougars are coming off a scoreless draw at Evansville on Tuesday. SIUE opened MAC play with a 3-2, double-overtime win over NIU and a 1-1 draw to Western Michigan, both at home.
Lachlan McLean leads the team with nine goals, four assists, 22 points and 53 shots, while Jorge Gonzalez is second with seven goals and 15 points. In goal, Noah Heim has played every minute and owns a .776 save percentage with a 0.86 goals-against average. He has made 45 saves, allowed 13 goals and has six shutouts.
Mario Sanchez is in his fourth season at SIUE and owns a 38-20-14 record in Edwardsville. He is 62-61-24 in eight years as a head coach. He guided the Cougars to an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance and Missouri Valley Tournament title in 2016.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE COUGARS
West Virginia is 1-0 all-time against SIUE, following a 2-1 overtime win on the road last year in the Cougars' first year in the MAC. Garcia-Herreros scored the game-winner in the 98th minute, and Albert Andres-Llop and Rushawn Larmond earned assists. Larmond gave WVU a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick in the 25th minute, while Tekesky made two saves.
UP NEXT: BACKYARD BRAWL
Up next, West Virginia hosts Pitt in the Backyard Brawl on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. ET, at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com or by calling 1-800 WVU GAME. The match is part of Mountaineer Week, and there will be a Maniacs giveaway for students and a student raffle for a sideline pass to the Baylor football game. The second-to-last home contest of the regular season also is the final Taco Tuesday of the season, with $2 walking tacos.
LAST TIME OUT: OT WIN AT AKRON
Piatczyc tied the match with 13 seconds left in regulation and scored the game-winner three minutes into overtime to propel West Virginia to a 2-1 victory at Akron on Oct. 13.
The Mountaineers trailed 1-0 12 minutes into the second half but responded with an offensive attack that resulted in Piatczyc's game-tying goal at 89:47. The game-winner came at 92:27. Following Akron's goal in the 57th minute, WVU out-shot the Zips, 10-1.
Senior midfielder Jorge Quintanilla and junior midfielder Logan Lucas picked up their first assists of the year, while Tekesky earned his second. Piatczyc, Lucas and sophomore defender Kevin Morris all had three shots, while Piatczyc led the team with three shots on goal.
In goal, Tekesky made three saves, all in the first half. Akron's Ben Lundt stopped five shots, all in the second half. The Mountaineers out-shot the Zips, 15-9, and had eight shots on goal to Akron's four. WVU held a 10-3 advantage in shots in the second half.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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