Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Rio Grande
Herd Draws 2-2 in Preseason Opener
8/15/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 15, 2012
RIO GRANDE, Ohio- The Marshall University men's soccer team travelled to the University of Rio Grande on Wednesday afternoon for its first match of the 2012 preseason and came away with a 2-2 draw courtesy of strikes by senior Eddy Prugh and freshman Andrew Ferguson.
The match was always expected to be a test for the Thundering Herd, with the Red Storm having advanced all the way to the quarterfinals in last season's NAIA National Tournament. Yet even against such stern opposition, and with just one week of practice under its belt, the Herd managed to generate plenty of offense on the road. Senior forward Eddy Prugh and freshman forward Andrew Ferguson were the scorers of the two goals, adding early marks to their preseason tallies.
"We played well overall," said Head Coach Bob Gray after the match. "I was pleased with the effort of the new players, especially against one of the best small-college teams in the nation in Rio Grande. We're now looking forward to the Pittsburgh scrimmage this weekend."
The 2-2 draw already represents an improvement of sorts for the Herd, who last fall went 0-2 in the preseason en route to losing the opening four matches of regular season play. The team will now return home with just two days of recovery and practice preceding Saturday's 2:00 p.m. scrimmage against Pittsburgh in Charleston, W.Va. The match will be the final preseason game for Marshall before it opens the 2012 regular season against Wright State on August 24.
