With the season beginning in nine days, here’s what you need to know about the No. 3 team in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll.
Entering the fifth year of the Dan Stratford era, the Mountaineers are coming off a 17-3-4 record, including a 5-1-3 conference record. They finished as runners ups in the Sun Belt Conference Championship and made a run to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, losing to the eventual national champions in the Clemson Tigers.
At the conclusion of the season, West Virginia saw three players selected in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft. Forward Marcus Caldeira was selected 20th by Minnesota United FC, forward Yutaro Tsukada was taken 25th by Orlando City SC, and goalkeeper Jackson Lee was drafted by LAFC with the 28th pick. Only Caldeira, drafted as a sophomore, returns to Morgantown for 2024. Tsukada and Lee were both seniors last season.
Other notable departures include midfielder Luke McCormick, defender Thomas Decottignies, and defender Brayden Borutskie. McCormick ranked fourth in points in 2023, tallying 17 with seven goals and three assists.
The incoming Class of 2024 consists of eight freshman, being midfielders Sebastian Burke, Braden Stevanovic, Weston Jonke and Isaac Scheer, goalkeepers Chase Collins and Toby Mawer, defenders Akseli Ekqvist and Tristan Pusztahegyi, and forward Sam Tinoco. The Mountaineers also have two incoming transfers, graduate student midfielder Simon Carlson from Georgia State and junior midfielder Felix Ewald from Temple. Another transfer, junior midfielder Ethan Dekel Daks from South Carolina, joined the Mountaineers back in January.
West Virginia is slated to play multiple ranked teams in their conference this season, with No. 8 Marshall, No.18 James Madison, and No. 19 UCF being ranked on the USC Preseason Poll as well.
The Mountaineers will begin their season on August 22nd, when they will host Purdue Fort-Wayne at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. The match is slated for a 7 p.m. start.
