Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 19/24-ranked West Virginia University men's soccer team topped Wright State, 2-1, in the squad's 2019 home opener at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium on Saturday night.
 
A pair of first-half goals by seniors Andres Muriel Albino and Pascal Derwaritsch helped the Mountaineers jump out to an early lead and the eventual victory. WVU posted a season-high 21 shots in the win, including eight on goal.
 
With Saturday's triumph, West Virginia has now won 100 matches at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium since the venue opened in 2004.
 
"I thought we were tested by a very good team tonight, but on the evening, we were the better side," WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. "That's how soccer is sometimes. Two good teams square off, and I thought in this case, we were a little better. We scored two goals, which is nice, but again, we probably could've scored four or five on the evening. I thought the goal we gave up was unlucky and soft, especially for how much we limited them on the attacking side of things, but tonight was a really, really good performance for us. We had to dig into the trenches and defend hard, too, and that was good to see."
 
WVU (2-1) almost found the back of the net just seconds into the match when senior Logan Lucas' header went just wide of the goal. From there, senior Albert Andres-Llop smacked the near-side post in the 21st minute to keep the contest scoreless.
 
But the Mountaineers found their lead in the 28th minute, when freshman Rodrigo Robles Grajera found Muriel Albino open inside the box. The Sevilla, Spain, native connected from 10-yards out to push WVU ahead.
 
Just five minutes later, it was Derwaritsch's turn to tally. Positioned inside the penalty area, Derwaritsch won a header off the foot of Andres-Llop to give the Mountaineers a 2-0 advantage.
 
The Mountaineers finished with 13 first-half shots in all, while limiting the Raiders to just three.
 
In the second half, Wright State (1-2) cut into the lead with a goal in the 72nd minute but could do no further damage. Junior goalkeeper Steven Tekesky was forced into action in the 75th minute on another Raider attempt, but he was able to fend off a shot from the top of the box to earn one of his two saves on the night.
 
West Virginia went on to outshoot WSU, 21-5, including 8-3 in shots on goal. WVU also held an advantage in corner kicks, 9-1.
 
The Mountaineers have now won their home opener eight times in the last nine years, including four seasons in a row. It also was the squad's 19th home, nonconference victory in its last 24 tries.
 
Next up, the Mountaineers continue their three-match homestand by welcoming in No. 17 Charlotte on Tuesday, Sept. 10. Kickoff at Dick Dlesk Stadium in Morgantown is set for 7 p.m.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.