Saturday, October 15
Morgantown, W.Va.
7:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Kentucky
WVU Readies for No. 2 Kentucky
October 14, 2022 03:46 PM | Men's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University men's soccer team welcomes in No. 2 Kentucky for a Sun Belt Conference match on Saturday, Oct. 15. Kickoff at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET.
It's Superhero Saturday at the stadium, with children in eighth grade and under receiving free admission into the game by wearing their favorite superhero costume. There also will be post-match penalty kicks on the field.
Fans can purchase tickets in advance by visiting WVUGAME.com or calling 1-800-WVU-GAME. 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, which opens at 6 p.m., on Saturday, tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups. The discounted online pricing will be available until kickoff.
WVU students are admitted free with a valid WVU Student ID.
Fans who are unable to attend the match can follow along with live stats at WVUsports.com. The match also can be seen live on ESPN+, with Nick Farrell and Adam Zundell on the call, as well as heard on 91.7 FM in Morgantown.
Saturday marks the second-ever meeting between the Mountaineers (4-6-2, 1-1-2 Sun Belt) and Wildcats (8-0-3, 3-0-1 Sun Belt), including the first in Morgantown. In the only other prior meeting, UK topped WVU, 1-0, in double overtime on Oct. 19, 2021, in Lexington.
West Virginia has defeated a ranked opponent in 14 of the last 16 seasons, with 13 top-10 wins in that span. What's more, WVU is 4-1 against top-three foes at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
The Mountaineers have allowed just one goal in Sun Belt action this season. The squad has produced three shutouts in four conference matches.
Last time out, WVU took down Lehigh, 3-0, on Oct. 11, in Morgantown. In the squad's nonconference finale, junior forward Yutaro Tsukada scored the game-winner in the 35th minute, while freshman forward Marcus Caldeira (46th) and redshirt junior midfielder/defender Sergio Ors Navarro (69th) also found the back of the net in the victory.
WVU outshot Lehigh, 18-3, including 5-0 in shots on goal. West Virginia's 18 shots were a season high. In goal, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Marc Bonnaire earned his second straight clean sheet, the Mountaineers' fifth of the season.
West Virginia is unbeaten in 18 of its last 19 home games, dating back to March 24, 2021. In all, WVU is 116-43-24 all-time at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
Caldeira enters the match with a team-leading three goals on the season, which have all come in the last two games. Junior midfielder Ryan Crooks is No. 1 on the team with four assists.
Third-year coach Dan Stratford is 83-16-14 in his head-coaching career, including 22-12-9 with the Mountaineers. He also is 4-1-3 in home, conference matches at WVU.
Kentucky is led by 12th-year coach Johan Cedergren. The Wildcats have reached the Sweet 16 in three of the last four seasons.
UK is unbeaten in its first 11 matches of the season and sits at No. 2 in this week's United Soccer Coaches poll, its highest ranking ever. It also began the week with the No. 1 RPI in the country.
Last time out, the Wildcats drew No. 22 Dayton, 2-2, on Oct. 12, in Lexington.
The Wildcats are top-five nationally in scoring offense. Eythor Bjorgolfsson has a team-leading six goals, while Ben Damge has five.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
It's Superhero Saturday at the stadium, with children in eighth grade and under receiving free admission into the game by wearing their favorite superhero costume. There also will be post-match penalty kicks on the field.
Fans can purchase tickets in advance by visiting WVUGAME.com or calling 1-800-WVU-GAME. 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, which opens at 6 p.m., on Saturday, tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors and $3 for groups. The discounted online pricing will be available until kickoff.
WVU students are admitted free with a valid WVU Student ID.
Fans who are unable to attend the match can follow along with live stats at WVUsports.com. The match also can be seen live on ESPN+, with Nick Farrell and Adam Zundell on the call, as well as heard on 91.7 FM in Morgantown.
Saturday marks the second-ever meeting between the Mountaineers (4-6-2, 1-1-2 Sun Belt) and Wildcats (8-0-3, 3-0-1 Sun Belt), including the first in Morgantown. In the only other prior meeting, UK topped WVU, 1-0, in double overtime on Oct. 19, 2021, in Lexington.
West Virginia has defeated a ranked opponent in 14 of the last 16 seasons, with 13 top-10 wins in that span. What's more, WVU is 4-1 against top-three foes at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
The Mountaineers have allowed just one goal in Sun Belt action this season. The squad has produced three shutouts in four conference matches.
Last time out, WVU took down Lehigh, 3-0, on Oct. 11, in Morgantown. In the squad's nonconference finale, junior forward Yutaro Tsukada scored the game-winner in the 35th minute, while freshman forward Marcus Caldeira (46th) and redshirt junior midfielder/defender Sergio Ors Navarro (69th) also found the back of the net in the victory.
WVU outshot Lehigh, 18-3, including 5-0 in shots on goal. West Virginia's 18 shots were a season high. In goal, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Marc Bonnaire earned his second straight clean sheet, the Mountaineers' fifth of the season.
West Virginia is unbeaten in 18 of its last 19 home games, dating back to March 24, 2021. In all, WVU is 116-43-24 all-time at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
Caldeira enters the match with a team-leading three goals on the season, which have all come in the last two games. Junior midfielder Ryan Crooks is No. 1 on the team with four assists.
Third-year coach Dan Stratford is 83-16-14 in his head-coaching career, including 22-12-9 with the Mountaineers. He also is 4-1-3 in home, conference matches at WVU.
Kentucky is led by 12th-year coach Johan Cedergren. The Wildcats have reached the Sweet 16 in three of the last four seasons.
UK is unbeaten in its first 11 matches of the season and sits at No. 2 in this week's United Soccer Coaches poll, its highest ranking ever. It also began the week with the No. 1 RPI in the country.
Last time out, the Wildcats drew No. 22 Dayton, 2-2, on Oct. 12, in Lexington.
The Wildcats are top-five nationally in scoring offense. Eythor Bjorgolfsson has a team-leading six goals, while Ben Damge has five.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
GK
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
MF
/ Men's Soccer
MF/D
/ Men's Soccer
F
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