GREENSBORO, N.C. – The No. 21-ranked UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's soccer team (1-0-1) welcomes the West Virginia Mountaineers (1-1-0) to UNCG Soccer Stadium on Friday, Aug. 28 for a matchup at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
Head Coach
Chris Rich's side is looking to keep an unbeaten season rolling following a 4-1 win over VCU on Aug. 20 and a 0-0 draw with San Francisco on Aug. 23. The Mountaineers project as another solid early test, the preseason top 25 side responding well to an opening-game loss with a win last time out over St. Bonaventure.
| Game 3: No. 21 UNC Greensboro (1-0-1, SoCon) vs. WVU (1-1-0, Sun Belt) |
| Date & Time |
Friday, Aug. 28 at 7:00 p.m. (ET) |
| Location |
Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Soccer Stadium |
| Tickets |
Free Admission |
| Coverage |
Live Stats: Live Stats Broadcast: ESPN+ |
| Promotions |
Food Truck in attendance, Youth Night |
| Social Media |
Follow the UNC Greensboro men's soccer team on Instagram (@uncgsoccer), Twitter (@UNCGsoccer), and Facebook (UNCGMensSoccer) to keep track of all the action and updates! |
SERIES HISTORY VS. WEST VIRGINIA
Friday night marks the sixth meeting all-time between the Spartans and Mountaineers, the visitors holding a 3-1-1 advantage through the first five. The last meeting on Sept. 17, 2024, saw the points shared in a 2-2 draw in Morgantown.
The other four games have all been decided by one goal; a pair of 2-1 decisions and another pair of 1-0 finishes.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
Head Coach Dan Stratford's side dropped from the national polls after a 3-0 loss on Aug. 20 at Charlotte, but responded well on Aug. 24 with a 1-0 win over the Bonnies in Morgantown. The Preseason favorites to win the Sun Belt are led by forward Pablo Pozos, who was named to the Mac Hermann Trophy Watchlist and as the Preseason Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year after recording 25 points (11 goals) in 2025.
Midfielders Nacho Martinez and Isaac Scheer were also named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt squad, Scheer returning after posting 13 points (seven assists) for the Mountaineers in 2025 and Martinez back after a Second Team All-Conference campaign himself. Forward Sammie Walker and midfielder Juan Alvarez are also back after earning All-Freshman nods last season.
SPARTANS IN THE POLLS
Following an unbeaten opening week, UNCG continues to be ranked in the three major polls. TopDrawerSoccer has the Spartans 14
th, College Soccer News 19
th and the United Soccer Coaches' Poll places the Blue & Gold 21
st.
LINBERG MAKES A STATEMENT
Sophomore defender
Trym Linberg was named the first Southern Conference (SoCon) Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 25, following his efforts in UNCG's opening pair of games. The Norwegian notched a pair of assists in the 4-1 win over VCU before playing every minute in the shutout of San Francisco, coming out of the gates well after an All-Freshman season in 2025.
DEFENSE OFF TO A STRONG START
Through two games, UNCG has allowed just one goal and limited opponents to a combined nine shots on goal from 24 attempts. Center back
Mason Dancy and Preseason All-Conference goalie
Seth Wilson are the only two Spartans to have played all 180 minutes so far, leading the way for a unit that is off to its best start since posting a pair of shutouts to open 2024.
At the other end, Linberg (two assists) and
Bautista Schmidt (one goal) powered the Spartans in the win over VCU.
FIRSTS LEAD THE WAY AGAINST VCU
Several firsts led the Blue & Gold over the Rams in the season opener, notably;
OFFENSIVE LEADERS
Matos leads the way with three points (goal, assist), while each of Schmidt, Francis, and
Pablo Torre also found the back of the net in the opener. Francis and Dahl are tied for the team high with four shots, Dahl having been especially threatening against San Francisco; the Dane put all three of his chances on target.
PURCHASE UNCG GEAR
Click here for your one-stop shop for all of your official UNCG merchandise! From apparel to accessories, there is something for everyone!
UP NEXT
UNCG trades UNCG Soccer Stadium for a three-game road trip, beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at Davidson. Kickoff against the Wildcats from Alumni Soccer Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
