Mountaineers Strike Early in Shutout Win

Tuesday, October 2

Morgantown, W.Va.

7:00 p.m.

West Virginia University

7-4-0

Binghamton

3-6-2

Binghamton

West Virginia

Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks

October 02, 2018 11:08 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Highlights Coach LeBlanc Postgame Ryan Kellogg Postgame Photo Gallery Box Score Season Stats

By: Charlie Healy

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Two first-half goals less than five minutes apart propelled the West Virginia University men's soccer team to a 2-0 victory against Binghamton on Tuesday night at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

The Mountaineers (7-4-0) improved to 5-1-0 at home thanks to goals in the 22nd and 27th minute and a defense that held the Bearcats (3-6-2) to four shots, one on goal. WVU produced its fifth clean sheet of the season and is unbeaten in 16 of its last 20 nonconference contests at home.

West Virginia's goals came from junior defender Ryan Kellogg, his third in the last two games, and freshman midfielder Josh DiMatteo, his first of his career. WVU out-shot Binghamton, 18-4, and held a 13-1 advantage in shots on goal. The Mountaineers are a perfect 15-0 in the last three seasons when scoring two or more goals in a match, including 7-0 in 2018.

"We can be so much better from a soccer perspective still, so we don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but we're back to shutout soccer, which is what we want first and foremost," WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. "I thought, tonight, their goalkeeper did a good job keeping them in the game, but we were close to seeing the floodgates open up tonight for the first time in a while. I was pleased."

DiMatteo led the team with five shots, two on goal, while junior midfielder Andres Muriel Albino had four shots, all on goal, and earned his first assist as a Mountaineer. Junior defender Albert Andres-Llop and junior midfielder Ethan Shim assisted on WVU's first goal, while Muriel Albino and junior midfielder Sebastian Garcia-Herreros assisted on the second.

In goal for West Virginia, sophomore Steven Tekesky stopped the one shot on goal he faced. His eight career shutouts currently rank No. 9 all-time in program history.

Kellogg's goal, his team-high-tying fourth of the season, came at 21:47 and gave the Mountaineers a 1-0 lead. Near the end line, Andres-Llop made a nice play to save the ball and send it across to Shim, who slid and put the ball on net. The ball was blocked on the goal line by a Binghamton defender right to Kellogg, who converted from just outside the six.

Less than five minutes later, at 26:04, DiMatteo made it 2-0. The play began with Muriel Albino, who chipped the ball in to Garcia-Herreros. He beat a defender to the ball inside the corner of the 18 With the keeper charging, Garcia-Herreros crossed the ball in to DiMatteo, and the freshman headed it into the open net from inside the six for his first career goal.

WVU had nine shots in the first half, eight on goal, with another nine in the second half, five on net. Three of BU's four shots came in the first half, including its lone shot on goal. The Mountaineers had 10 corner kicks to the Bearcats' nine. Binghamton's Isaiah Pettis made 10 saves, five in each half.

West Virginia put two shots on goal in the opening four minutes, but both where saved, before Tekesky made his only save in the 11th minute.

The Mountaineers earned a penalty kick in the 13th minute. However, senior midfielder Joey Piatczyc's shot was saved, and his header on the rebound went high. Three corner kicks, and another shot saved, followed, before WVU took a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute and made it 2-0 in the 27th.

Binghamton had two shots in the final 16 minutes, but the first went wide and the second, in the 43rd minute, was high.

WVU continued to apply pressure throughout the second half, and senior forward Rushawn Larmond had a shot saved a minute in. After two WVU corner kicks, BU had its best chance in the 58th minute. The Bearcats had two corner kicks and a blocked shot, followed by another two corner kicks. However, the visitors could not get a quality look on net.

That proved to be the last shot, and corner kick, of the match for Binghamton. The Mountaineers controlled much of the rest of play, but could not add to its 2-0 lead.

The match was delayed 45 minutes prior to kickoff due to lightning in the area.

West Virginia commences Mid-American Conference play at Western Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 6. Kickoff in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is set for 4 p.m. ET at the reigning MAC regular-season champions. The contest is the first of three in a row on the road before the Mountaineers return home on Saturday, Oct. 20, against league foe SIU Edwardsville.

WVU soccer scarf ticket packages and single match tickets are on sale now at WVUGAME.com or by calling 1-800 WVU GAME. The scarf ticket package includes a scarf and 10 tickets to be used at any men's or women's soccer match during the 2018 regular season. Packages are just $30 and are available while supplies last. With the exception of Dollar Nights, 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. Tickets for WVU students are free with a valid student I.D.

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