Marshall University Athletics
Men's Soccer Travels to Dayton Invitational
9/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 14, 2005
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall men's soccer team travels to Dayton, Ohio, this weekend for the Dayton Invitational. The Thundering Herd takes on the host Flyers at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Baujan Field, and returns at noon Sunday to face Duquesne.
Marshall (2-2) comes off a roller coaster week which saw the Herd split matches with Pittsburgh and Cleveland State. In the home opener last Thursday vs. Pitt, the Herd played a man down for the final 42:44 of the second half and squandered a three-goal lead in falling, 5-4, to the Panthers. Marshall bounced back and responded Sunday at Cleveland State with four second-half goals to top the Vikings, 5-3.
Stanton Smith (Cape Town, South Africa/University of Charleston) led the Thundering Herd last week with seven points on two goals and three assists, while Kirk Gibson (Allen, Texas/Allen) posted two goals to give him a team-best three this season.
The Herd's freshmen also stepped up, as Phillip Buffington (Jackson, Miss./Jackson), Osric Flores (Everett, Wash./Cascade) and Dana Heimbecker (Niagara Falls, Ontario/Westlane Secondary) each posted their first career goals, Luke Strimer (St. Mary's, W.Va./Parkersburg) notched his first career assist and Greg Walter (Slippery Rock, Pa./Slippery Rock) earned his first career win in goal. In four matches this season, the freshman class has 12 points on four goals and four assists.
Dayton (1-2) dropped two matches last weekend on a road swing to California, falling 1-0 Friday at Sacramento State and then dropping a 1-0 double-overtime contest Sunday at UC Davis. The game Friday night will be the Flyers' home opener. Dayton leads the all-time series with Marshall, 2-0, although the schools have not met since a 6-0 Dayton win in 1987.
Duquesne (2-1) split its two matches last week at the St. Bonaventure Invitational. In the opener, the Dukes dropped a 1-0 decision to No. 20 Binghamton but quickly regrouped to down Western Michigan, 3-1. This is the first-ever meeting between Marshall and Duquesne.
Cal Poly (2-2) also will participate in the tournament and take on Duquesne Friday and Dayton Sunday.
After a week off, Marshall returns home to battle Wright State at 1 p.m. Sept. 25 at Sam Hood Field.
