MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Dan Stratford waited 13 months to lead his alma mater onto the soccer field but needed just four minutes to see his Mountaineers score their first goal of the season. West Virginia defeated Charlotte, 3-0 Friday night in Stratford’s first match as head coach.
“I feel like it was just what the guys needed after such a long break,” Stratford said. “I think we all forgot what the feeling was like to play a tough road game and get a really good win, and that feeling in the locker room afterwards. It definitely made for an easy ride home, for sure. That gave us a lot of confidence but also a good platform to build on.”
WVU received all the offense they needed when Tony Pineda found the back of the net in the fourth minute. Pineda later netted a second goal and Bjarne Thiesen scored late in the half. The Mountaineers won despite being outshot 16-5.
“While we didn’t create a great deal of chances, the quality of the chances we created were fantastic,” Stratford said. “We executed incredibly well in those moments. When you can put high-percentage opportunities in front of players, that’s obviously going to increase the likelihood that we can convert them.”
Four West Virginia natives are featured on Stratford’s first roster at WVU. Fairmont Senior graduate Ike Swiger was in the starting eleven for the Charlotte match and Morgantown graduate Elijah Borneo had an assist.
“I have known those guys for a long time. There is technical quality and great athleticism. We continue to work hard with both of them to help them improve in terms of what we are doing tactically.
“Sam Morgan (Charles Town) and JoJo Biafora (University H.S.) both contributed off the bench for us as well. So to have four kids from West Virginia that know what it means to represent the university and are very proud, we want them to be leaders within this group and reinforce that message to international players and out-of-state players and fully value what it means to represent this university.”
In a normal year, the six-team Mid-American Conference season consists of a five-match regular season and a conference tournament. This year, a ten-match double round robin setup sees each team host and visit all other league squads. No conference tournament is planned.
“With a smaller pool of teams within the conference, only playing five games would perhaps not be a fair reflection of who the strongest team is. So now we have ten conference games and we tend to believe that the best team will rise to the top at the end of it.”
Wrestlers head to Big 12 Championships in Tulsa
Four WVU wrestlers have been seeded for the Big 12 Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma this weekend. Killian Cardinale is seeded fourth at 125 pounds. Ryan Sullivan is the No. 2 seed at 133. Oak Glen High School graduate Peyton Hall is the No. 2 seed at 165 pounds and defending league champion Noah Adams is the No. 3 seed at 197 pounds.
All of those wrestlers are likely ticketed for the NCAA Championships in St. Louis. Head coach Tim Flynn is hopeful other wrestlers can qualify through their performances at the Big 12 tourney.
“Hopefully it is ten,” Flynn said. “Really all of our guys have shown some promise. They all have shown signs that they can compete at a high level. If we can get them to do that this weekend, we will have more than that ‘four’ number.”
The Mountaineers went 7-3 in the dual meet season, their best mark in Flynn’s third season as head coach.
“As a team, we have certainly taken a step up. Now, I think this lets each individual know where they stand. This is not only a team sport but obviously you can go out and win an individual Big 12 championship as well.”
Adams, an Independence High School graduate, is seeded third in the Big 12 tournament. Adams saw his 39-match win streak ended last month by Wyoming’s Steven Buchanan, who is seeded No. 2.
“The kid who is the top seed (South Dakota State’s Tanner Sloan), Noah beat him in the Big 12 final last year,” Flynn said. “He is a really solid guy. We had some wars with Buchanan and with (Jake) Woodley. And the (A.J.) Ferrari kid is solid. It is a really deep weight class. Noah has ramped it up a notch. So I am hoping we will have a really great showing. And I think we will.”
Women’s soccer returns for four-match spring slate
After going 7-2 and finishing second in the Big 12 Conference season in the fall, Nikki Izzo-Brown’s 25th season will continue into the spring. The Mountaineers, ranked seventh in the national coaches poll, will play four official matches in the spring, starting at St. Joseph’s Sunday afternoon. WVU will also host Duke and play a home-and-home series with Virginia. The NCAA Tournament is scheduled to begin in mid-April.