California Baptist University
#1 West Virginia
MSOC PREVIEW: Lancers Set To Host Top-Ranked West Virginia
9/5/2024 10:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
RIVERSIDE - California Baptist University men's soccer is set to host the top-ranked team in the nation on Friday night as the West Virginia Mountaineers are making their first-ever trip to Riverside. The historic matchup is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at the CBU Soccer Stadium.
Both teams are among the few remaining unbeaten teams in the country, with CBU at 1-0-2 and the Mountaineers at a perfect 3-0.
The Lancers home opener was a barn burner, seeing the home team net four goals in a rout of CSU Bakersfield in front of a new record crowd of 1,617. A pair of true freshmen, Blake D'Agostino and Jiro Uchida, got the Lancers on the board, with standout defender Stavros Charalampous collecting the third goal and senior striker Leo Mendez converting a penalty shot in the final moments to reach the final score of 4-1.
For the second week in a row, first-year goalkeeper Hugo Do Rego earned recognition from the Western Athletic Conference by being selected as their Goalkeeper of the Week. His eight saves against CSUB sealed the deal to keep CBU unbeaten. He is the first Lancer to win back-to-back weekly awards for men's soccer since joining the WAC in 2018
#1 WEST VIRGINIA AT A GLANCE
Meeting for the second time overall and the first in Riverside, this year's game against the Mountaineers is set to be a milestone match for the still-young CBU program. In just its third year of NCAA postseason eligibility, the CBU men's soccer program will host the number one team in the NCAA and face its eighth team listed in the national poll.
The Mountaineers were receiving top-25 poll votes last season when the two programs met for the season opener in Morgantown. The Lancers began the season with key injuries and eventually lost that game by a score of 3-0, but WVU would prove that outcome wasn't a fluke by climbing to No. 3 to end the 2023 season and begin the 2024 season. Three straight four-goal efforts and falters from the few teams ahead of them in the poll created the path for the Mountaineers to claim their first top-ranking in program history this week.
Graduate forward Sergio Ors Navarro has already netted half a dozen goals for WVU in their three games, including a hat trick in their season opener against Purdue Fort Wayne. However, WVU has a concentrated attack, as all 12 goals this season have come from four players. Simon Carlson, a graduate midfielder, and Felix Ewald, a junior midfielder, are the other two players with multiple goals, scoring three and two, respectively. Starting goalkeeper Marc Bonnaire has started and won all three games but has yet to be tested much, having made just three saves total while allowing two goals.
This will be the biggest test that head coach Coe Michaelson and his squad have faced in the Division I era, making it the program's best opportunity. Another massive crowd is expected to witness this historic match at CBU Soccer Stadium on Friday night. Don't wait; purchase your tickets today to ensure your spot on the sideline for this milestone contest. Purchase tickets here!
GAME INFO:
Date: Friday, Sept. 6
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Riverside, California
Venue: CBU Soccer Stadium
LINKS: ESPN+ | Live Stats | Roster | Schedule | Season Stats | International Stream
