Marshall University Athletics
Men's Soccer Ready To Take On WVU
10/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Men's Soccer Ready To Take On WVU
10/30/2003
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. - The Marshall University men's soccer team will face off against in-state rival West Virginia University on Sunday at Schoenbaum Field in Charleston.
Sunday's game marks the 19th meeting between the two schools. WVU leads the series, 13-5-1. The teams last met in 2001 in Morgantown with the Mountaineers coming away with a 3-0 win. The game in 2002 was cancelled due to inclement weather.
"Our team is very excited about this game," Marshall Coach Bob Gray said. "Any time Marshall plays WVU there is an added level of excitement for everyone. This game will create a tournament atmosphere for our players and should be a good experience for them heading into the MAC tournament."
The Herd comes into the game with a record of 6-11-0 and is 2-4-0 in the Mid-American Conference. They are coming off of a 1-0 overtime loss on Sunday to the Kentucky Wildcats. Marshall has been playing very well as of late, recording five shutout wins in the last eight games. MU has allowed only four goals over that span.
West Virginia (4-9-3, 1-4-3 Big East) is coming off of a 2-0 loss on Saturday at Rutgers. The Mountaineers will face St. Johns in Morgantown on November 1 before heading to Charleston. The leading scorer for WVU is freshman Jarrod Smith with six goals and 12 points.
Leading the way for the Herd is freshman Michael McDonald (Luton, England) with 12 points (5 goals, 2 assists). Sophomore Kirk Gibson (Allen, TX) is second with 11 (4 goals, 3 assists).
"Both teams are very similar, both struggled in the beginning and have gotten better as the season has gone along," Gray said. "WVU is a good team and it should be a great battle."
Adding extra incentive to Sunday's game is "The Boot," the traveling trophy for the annual game. Half of the shoe is painted in Marshall colors and the other half is painted in WVU's colors. "It gives us something extra to play for," Gray said, "it shows how big the rivalry is and what the game means to each school."
The game marks the final regular season match for both teams. Marshall will head to the MAC tournament on November 7 in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Click on the link for directions to the field. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students.
