The West Virginia Mountaineers men’s soccer team is off to a fantastic start, and their recent 4-0 victory over La Salle at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium just solidified their early-season dominance. This win pushes their record to a perfect 2-0, with an impressive 9-2 goal differential in their first week of play. It’s clear these Mountaineers mean business! [1]
The game was pretty much decided early on, with West Virginia controlling the tempo from the whistle. Marcus Caldeira was the star of the show, netting two goals – one in the ninth minute to open the scoring, and another later in the game to seal his brace. Not to be outdone, Thijs Veldhorst added to the lead just before halftime, making it 2-0. And for a cherry on top, freshman Bryce Swinehart scored his first career goal midway through the second half, effectively putting the game out of reach for the Explorers. [1]
West Virginia absolutely dominated the stat sheet, outshooting La Salle by a staggering 26-4 margin. La Salle’s goalkeeper, Tino Kneis, was kept incredibly busy, making 10 saves to prevent an even wider scoreline. To make matters worse for La Salle, they played a significant portion of the game a man down after a first-half red card, which the Mountaineers capitalized on beautifully. [1]
On the defensive end, goalkeeper Marc Bonnaire had a relatively quiet night, handling the only two shots on target to secure West Virginia’s first clean sheet of the season. This kind of solid defensive performance, combined with their potent offense, bodes well for the Mountaineers as they look ahead. Their next challenge is at home against Gardner-Webb on Wednesday, September 3rd, at 7 PM. If they keep playing like this, it’s going to be an exciting season for WVU soccer fans! [1]
References
[1] https://www.smokingmusket.com/west-virginia-mountaineers-soccer/36102/wvu-mens-soccer-lasalle-recap