On Saturday, the WVU Men’s Soccer team is set to face off against #4 Marshall.
The Mountaineers have often found themselves on the losing side more often than the winning
one. They will be entering this matchup with an overall record of 2-4-1. Out of the first seven
games, WVU has faced two ranked opponents (#7 Penn State, #13 Portland) and lost both
matches.
The Mountaineers also found themselves in a draw against Coastal Carolina in their inaugural Sun Belt match.
This season, WVU has shot a total of nine goals, 83 shots, 33 of which were on goal—in
comparison, allowing their opponents to 11 goals and 22 shots on goal.
Despite the rough start to the season, several players have stood out from the rest.
Junior Ryan Crooks currently is tied for the team lead in goals with two and leads the team in
assists (4) and shots (17), and shots on goal (9). Luke McCormick is another bright spot for the
Mountaineer’s offense; he has a total of two goals and is second on the team with seven
assists.
The Herd will be entering this matchup as the #4 team in the nation with a total record of 4-1-1 with a victory over #2 Pittsburgh.
Marshall’s defensive play is one of the main factors for such an impressive start to the season.
In their first six games, they allowed their opponents to only five goals and a total of 51 shots. Of
those 51 shots, only 17 of them were on goal.
Matthew Bell has been the premier player for Marshall this year. He leads the team in goals with
seven, and the next closest is four by Milo Yosef. Bell also leads the team with shots on goal
with 14.
The last time these two teams met was in 2021. The Mountaineers entered that match 4-0-2
and faced a 3-1-2 Marshall squad. It was a top 25 matchup, and the result was a 2-2 draw.
Saturday’s matchup will take place in Huntington, West Virginia, at Hoops Family Field at 7:15
pm and can will be streamed on ESPN+.
