Friday, October 18
Morgantown, W.Va.
7:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Northern Illinois
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
West Virginia Welcomes NIU in MAC Battle
October 17, 2019 03:15 PM | Men's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University men's soccer team concludes its two-match conference homestand by hosting Northern Illinois on Friday, Oct. 18. Kickoff at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Friday's match features the third and final Friday Night Futbol of the season, with Happy Hour drink specials running from 6-7 p.m. It's also Most Valuable Professor (MVP) Night, where the Mountaineers will honor their favorite professors from their academic careers. All WVU staff and faculty, as well as WVU students, will receive free admission with a valid employee/student I.D.
Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance by visiting WVUGAME.com to avoid lines at the gate on game day. When purchasing online, tickets are $5 each and $3 for groups of 10 or more. All tickets are general admission.
At the stadium ticket window, tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups on game day. The discounted online pricing will be available until kickoff of the match.
Fans unable to attend Friday's match can access, live stats, as well as a live stream of the contest, at WVUsports.com.
"We're expecting another big challenge on Friday night with NIU," WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. "They are a very good team, and we'll need to be at our best if we want to earn a result on our field. We're very much looking forward to another opportunity to play."
The Mountaineers (6-5-1, 0-1 MAC) and Huskies (5-7-1, 0-1 MAC) are set to meet for the ninth time on Friday, with the all-time series even at 3-3-2. WVU holds a 2-0-1 edge in Morgantown.
Seven of the previous eight matchups between the two teams came in Mid-American Conference play. The squads also met in the 2012 MAC Championship Semifinals in Akron, Ohio. Four of the last five matches, including each of the last three meetings, have reached overtime.
Last season, WVU earned a 4-3, overtime win over Northern Illinois on Nov. 3, 2018, at the NIU Soccer Complex in DeKalb, Illinois. Then-junior midfielder Pascal Derwaritsch registered the game-winning goal in the 97th minute, allowing the Mountaineers to claim the wild, back-and-forth affair.
The Mountaineers took a 2-0 lead to begin the match, thanks to goals from then-junior midfielder Andres Muriel Albino and Joey Piatczyc in the 28th and 47th minute, respectively. From there, the Huskies scored back-to-back goals in a 50-second span, before then-sophomore defender Kevin Morris gave WVU a 3-2 advantage with a goal in the 56th minute. NIU sent the match into overtime with an equalizer in the 74th minute, which led to Derwaritsch's third career game-winner.
West Virginia is coming off a 3-1 loss to Western Michigan on Oct. 13, at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. The Mountaineers conceded an own goal in the 15th minute to give the Broncos the 1-0 advantage in both teams' MAC opener. From there, WMU doubled its lead with a 60th-minute goal, before freshman forward Rodrigo Robles Grajera answered with a WVU tally in the 84th minute. The Burgos, Spain, native volleyed in a cross sent from senior defender Albert Andres-Llop for his fifth goal of the season. However, Western Michigan added a third goal three minutes later to claim the road, conference victory.
WMU outshot WVU, 10-6, including 8-5 in shots on goal. The Broncos also held a 6-4 edge in corner kicks. The loss snapped the Mountaineers' six-match conference regular-season win streak, which dated back to Nov. 4, 2017, at SIU Edwardsville.
West Virginia enters Friday's match ranked No. 2 in the MAC in corner kicks, with 71, an average of 5.9 per match. The Mountaineers also sit No. 3 in the league in goals scored (20) and points per game (5.4).
Individually, Muriel Albino's team-leading six goals rank No. 2 in the conference, while his 13 points are good for third-most in the league. Freshman midfielder Luke McCormick leads WVU in assists, with five, a mark that is tied for the MAC lead.
Junior goalkeeper Steven Tekesky, who is coming off two consecutive five-plus-save performances last week, is No. 2 in the MAC in minutes played (1,106), total saves (38) and shutouts (3).
Northern Illinois is led by third-year coach Ryan Swan, who holds a 16-27-3 mark with the Huskies. NIU fell to SIU Edwardsville, 2-1, on Oct. 12, in the squad's MAC opener. The squad previously won four matches in a row from Sept. 15-28.
Sophomore forward Nick Markanich leads NIU with five goals, 32 shots and 13 shots on goal this season. He also co-leads the team in points, with 11. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Martin Sanchez is the projected starter between the posts for the Huskies. He has registered 31 saves on the season.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Friday's match features the third and final Friday Night Futbol of the season, with Happy Hour drink specials running from 6-7 p.m. It's also Most Valuable Professor (MVP) Night, where the Mountaineers will honor their favorite professors from their academic careers. All WVU staff and faculty, as well as WVU students, will receive free admission with a valid employee/student I.D.
Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance by visiting WVUGAME.com to avoid lines at the gate on game day. When purchasing online, tickets are $5 each and $3 for groups of 10 or more. All tickets are general admission.
At the stadium ticket window, tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups on game day. The discounted online pricing will be available until kickoff of the match.
Fans unable to attend Friday's match can access, live stats, as well as a live stream of the contest, at WVUsports.com.
"We're expecting another big challenge on Friday night with NIU," WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. "They are a very good team, and we'll need to be at our best if we want to earn a result on our field. We're very much looking forward to another opportunity to play."
The Mountaineers (6-5-1, 0-1 MAC) and Huskies (5-7-1, 0-1 MAC) are set to meet for the ninth time on Friday, with the all-time series even at 3-3-2. WVU holds a 2-0-1 edge in Morgantown.
Seven of the previous eight matchups between the two teams came in Mid-American Conference play. The squads also met in the 2012 MAC Championship Semifinals in Akron, Ohio. Four of the last five matches, including each of the last three meetings, have reached overtime.
Last season, WVU earned a 4-3, overtime win over Northern Illinois on Nov. 3, 2018, at the NIU Soccer Complex in DeKalb, Illinois. Then-junior midfielder Pascal Derwaritsch registered the game-winning goal in the 97th minute, allowing the Mountaineers to claim the wild, back-and-forth affair.
The Mountaineers took a 2-0 lead to begin the match, thanks to goals from then-junior midfielder Andres Muriel Albino and Joey Piatczyc in the 28th and 47th minute, respectively. From there, the Huskies scored back-to-back goals in a 50-second span, before then-sophomore defender Kevin Morris gave WVU a 3-2 advantage with a goal in the 56th minute. NIU sent the match into overtime with an equalizer in the 74th minute, which led to Derwaritsch's third career game-winner.
West Virginia is coming off a 3-1 loss to Western Michigan on Oct. 13, at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. The Mountaineers conceded an own goal in the 15th minute to give the Broncos the 1-0 advantage in both teams' MAC opener. From there, WMU doubled its lead with a 60th-minute goal, before freshman forward Rodrigo Robles Grajera answered with a WVU tally in the 84th minute. The Burgos, Spain, native volleyed in a cross sent from senior defender Albert Andres-Llop for his fifth goal of the season. However, Western Michigan added a third goal three minutes later to claim the road, conference victory.
WMU outshot WVU, 10-6, including 8-5 in shots on goal. The Broncos also held a 6-4 edge in corner kicks. The loss snapped the Mountaineers' six-match conference regular-season win streak, which dated back to Nov. 4, 2017, at SIU Edwardsville.
West Virginia enters Friday's match ranked No. 2 in the MAC in corner kicks, with 71, an average of 5.9 per match. The Mountaineers also sit No. 3 in the league in goals scored (20) and points per game (5.4).
Individually, Muriel Albino's team-leading six goals rank No. 2 in the conference, while his 13 points are good for third-most in the league. Freshman midfielder Luke McCormick leads WVU in assists, with five, a mark that is tied for the MAC lead.
Junior goalkeeper Steven Tekesky, who is coming off two consecutive five-plus-save performances last week, is No. 2 in the MAC in minutes played (1,106), total saves (38) and shutouts (3).
Northern Illinois is led by third-year coach Ryan Swan, who holds a 16-27-3 mark with the Huskies. NIU fell to SIU Edwardsville, 2-1, on Oct. 12, in the squad's MAC opener. The squad previously won four matches in a row from Sept. 15-28.
Sophomore forward Nick Markanich leads NIU with five goals, 32 shots and 13 shots on goal this season. He also co-leads the team in points, with 11. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Martin Sanchez is the projected starter between the posts for the Huskies. He has registered 31 saves on the season.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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GK
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