Marshall University Athletics
Thursday, August 26
Harrisonburg, VA
7:30 PM
Marshall University
at
James Madison University
No. 1 Men’s Soccer Kicks off 2021 at No. 21 James Madison
8/25/2021 5:03:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Match set to begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday
HARRISONBURG, Va. – The No. 1-ranked Marshall men's soccer team begins the journey of the 2021 season at No. 21 James Madison. The season-opener for both teams is set to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday from Sentara Park as part of the Fairfield by Marriott Invitational. No. 15 Virginia Tech and Kansas City are also participating in the tournament.
Match Details
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Broadcast: FLOSPORTS (paid service)
Marshall Match Notes (PDF)
Series History: 4 all-time meetings – JMU leads series 3-1
Last Meeting: Aug. 31, 2007 – Herd won the season-opener 1-0
The Thundering Herd is coming off a historic season and enter the year as not only 2-time defending Conference USA Champions, but also defending National Champions. Marshall led the nation in the 2020-21 season with 11 shutouts as the defense continued to shine, especially in the NCAA Tournament. The Herd defense recorded three-straight clean sheets with No. 8 Georgetown in the Elite 8, No. 16 UNC in the Final Four and No. 3 Indiana in the Championship. The offense took advantage of its opportunities and finished with style. Senior Jamil Roberts, the only regular from last season who is not back for 2021, was named the NCAA Tournament Offensive MVP after scoring three-straight game-winners, including the Golden Goal to take the Natty.
Head Coach Chris Grassie leads Marshall in his fifth season at the helm, delivering on a promise he made when hired by the Herd to take over the program in January of 2017 to win a National Championship. Coach Grassie is 45-24-10 in his four seasons in Huntington, and is 29-5-6 over the last two years. And plenty of hardware.
Grassie returns a very experienced group for 2021 that has played a combined 449 matches for the Green & White. Senior forward Vitor Dias, who was named the C-USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, leads the way. Dias had a very decorated season this past spring and led Marshall in scoring with six goals, seven assists and 19 points. Redshirt junior Milo Yosef teams with Dias to form a very imposing front line. Junior Joao Souza looks to fill in the spot left vacated by Roberts. Souza even changed his number from 17 to 11 for the 2021 season.
In the midfield graduate student Pedro Dolabella is the leader using the COVID season from last year to come back for one more run with the Herd. Joining Dolabella are senior Vinicius Fernandes and junior Max Schneider. Both Fernandes and Schneider were named to the NCAA All-Tournament team.
Senior defender Nathan Dossantos, named the C-USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year returns to team with redshirt senior Collin Mocyunas, senior Jan-Erik Leinhos and sophomore Gabriel Alves for a back line that allowed just 34 shots on goal last year. Senior goalkeeper Oliver Semmle is also back in the net for the Herd after setting team records with 11 shutouts and a 0.38 goals against average, which also set a league mark.
The Herd will face a very daunting schedule in 2021. Not only will teams be giving their best effort due to the newly minted star on the team crest, but Marshall is set to play five teams ranked in the United Soccer Coaches/NCAA Preseason Top 25, as well as two more receiving votes. And it starts right from the beginning against the 21st-ranked Dukes.
The Opponent
James Madison finished 5-1-3 in its abbreviated 2020-21 season. The Dukes won the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship after taking down both Drexel and Hofstra in shootouts. JMU moved on to the NCAA Tournament and fell in the second round, 2-1, to No. 18 UCF.
The Dukes also return most of its players from last season. Of the 10 athletes who logged at least 500 minutes on the pitch – out of 870 total played – only two players will not be back on the pitch in goalkeeper T.J. Bush and defender Tom Judge. Bush played all but seven minutes last year and allowed just four goals for a 0.42 goals against average. He recorded 30 saves and sported a .882 save percentage.
Every player who scored a goal last season is back including leading scorer Luca Erhardt who finished with three goals and had one assist. Ethan Taylor was next with two goals.
Head coach Paul Zazenski enters his fourth season at JMU with a record of 31-13-9. He led the Dukes to double-digit wins in 2018 and 2019 and trips to the NCAA Tournament in all three advancing to the Elite 8 in 2018.
These two teams are not very familiar with one another having played just four times over the years with the most recent coming in 2007. Prior that meeting, Marshall and James Madison met in 1990, 1991 and 1992. This will be the Herd's fourth trip to Harrisonburg. JMU came to Huntington in 1991.
Following Marshall's match against James Madison, the Herd returns to the pitch on Sunday, Aug. 29, at 3:30 p.m. to face the 15th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies. The Hokies begin the weekend against Kansas City on Thursday at 4 p.m. JMU will play Kansas City on Sunday at 12 p.m.
For all of the latest information on the Marshall men's soccer team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdMSoccer, Facebook at Marshall University Soccer and on www.herdzone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
Match Details
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Broadcast: FLOSPORTS (paid service)
Marshall Match Notes (PDF)
Series History: 4 all-time meetings – JMU leads series 3-1
Last Meeting: Aug. 31, 2007 – Herd won the season-opener 1-0
The Thundering Herd is coming off a historic season and enter the year as not only 2-time defending Conference USA Champions, but also defending National Champions. Marshall led the nation in the 2020-21 season with 11 shutouts as the defense continued to shine, especially in the NCAA Tournament. The Herd defense recorded three-straight clean sheets with No. 8 Georgetown in the Elite 8, No. 16 UNC in the Final Four and No. 3 Indiana in the Championship. The offense took advantage of its opportunities and finished with style. Senior Jamil Roberts, the only regular from last season who is not back for 2021, was named the NCAA Tournament Offensive MVP after scoring three-straight game-winners, including the Golden Goal to take the Natty.
Head Coach Chris Grassie leads Marshall in his fifth season at the helm, delivering on a promise he made when hired by the Herd to take over the program in January of 2017 to win a National Championship. Coach Grassie is 45-24-10 in his four seasons in Huntington, and is 29-5-6 over the last two years. And plenty of hardware.
Grassie returns a very experienced group for 2021 that has played a combined 449 matches for the Green & White. Senior forward Vitor Dias, who was named the C-USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, leads the way. Dias had a very decorated season this past spring and led Marshall in scoring with six goals, seven assists and 19 points. Redshirt junior Milo Yosef teams with Dias to form a very imposing front line. Junior Joao Souza looks to fill in the spot left vacated by Roberts. Souza even changed his number from 17 to 11 for the 2021 season.
In the midfield graduate student Pedro Dolabella is the leader using the COVID season from last year to come back for one more run with the Herd. Joining Dolabella are senior Vinicius Fernandes and junior Max Schneider. Both Fernandes and Schneider were named to the NCAA All-Tournament team.
Senior defender Nathan Dossantos, named the C-USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year returns to team with redshirt senior Collin Mocyunas, senior Jan-Erik Leinhos and sophomore Gabriel Alves for a back line that allowed just 34 shots on goal last year. Senior goalkeeper Oliver Semmle is also back in the net for the Herd after setting team records with 11 shutouts and a 0.38 goals against average, which also set a league mark.
The Herd will face a very daunting schedule in 2021. Not only will teams be giving their best effort due to the newly minted star on the team crest, but Marshall is set to play five teams ranked in the United Soccer Coaches/NCAA Preseason Top 25, as well as two more receiving votes. And it starts right from the beginning against the 21st-ranked Dukes.
The Opponent
James Madison finished 5-1-3 in its abbreviated 2020-21 season. The Dukes won the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship after taking down both Drexel and Hofstra in shootouts. JMU moved on to the NCAA Tournament and fell in the second round, 2-1, to No. 18 UCF.
The Dukes also return most of its players from last season. Of the 10 athletes who logged at least 500 minutes on the pitch – out of 870 total played – only two players will not be back on the pitch in goalkeeper T.J. Bush and defender Tom Judge. Bush played all but seven minutes last year and allowed just four goals for a 0.42 goals against average. He recorded 30 saves and sported a .882 save percentage.
Every player who scored a goal last season is back including leading scorer Luca Erhardt who finished with three goals and had one assist. Ethan Taylor was next with two goals.
Head coach Paul Zazenski enters his fourth season at JMU with a record of 31-13-9. He led the Dukes to double-digit wins in 2018 and 2019 and trips to the NCAA Tournament in all three advancing to the Elite 8 in 2018.
These two teams are not very familiar with one another having played just four times over the years with the most recent coming in 2007. Prior that meeting, Marshall and James Madison met in 1990, 1991 and 1992. This will be the Herd's fourth trip to Harrisonburg. JMU came to Huntington in 1991.
Following Marshall's match against James Madison, the Herd returns to the pitch on Sunday, Aug. 29, at 3:30 p.m. to face the 15th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies. The Hokies begin the weekend against Kansas City on Thursday at 4 p.m. JMU will play Kansas City on Sunday at 12 p.m.
For all of the latest information on the Marshall men's soccer team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdMSoccer, Facebook at Marshall University Soccer and on www.herdzone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
---HerdZone.com---
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