LEXINGTON, Va. – After a 10-day rest, VMI Men's Soccer will return to play Wednesday night against Radford at Cupp Stadium in Radford, Virginia. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
The Keydets (3-4-1) seek their third-straight result after defeating Howard and tying against Saint Peter's. The Highlanders (0-9) look for their first victory of 2024. This will be VMI's final non-conference road match of the season.
Keys to the Keydets
Keydets Draw Against Peacocks. In a defensive showdown, VMI tallied a 0-0 decision against Saint Peter's.
Extended Vacation. The Keydets had a 10-day break between matches.
Murphy Steps Up. After earning his second clean sheet,
Zack Murphy was named SoCon Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career.
Grant Lands Weekly Honor. After his outing against Howard,
Kyle Grant was named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Week.
First Time Since '01. With Grant and Murphy tallying weekly honors, it's the first time VMI has earned back-to-back Player of the Week awards since 2001.
Repeating History. Last season, the Keydets defeated the Highlanders to earn their first win over a D-I opponent in nine years. This season, VMI seeks its third result against a D-I team.
New Marks. VMI has not won against the same D-I opponent in back-to-back seasons since 2013/2014.
He's the Huang. With his second goal of the season coming against Howard,
Anthony Huang leads VMI in points and shots, and ties for goals. He's also eighth in the league in total points.
Leading the League. The Keydets lead all SoCon teams in saves per game and shots per game.
Game Winners. Huang, Grant, and
Jesse Lee have each tallied game-winning goals.
Murphy Minutes. Murphy has played in 706 minutes and has recorded 39 saves between the posts with two clean sheets.
Chaffey's World. Elliot Chaffey has led the back line this season. He also leads the team in assists with three, the second most in the conference.
Life Saver. Murphy ranks 14th in saves per game with nearly five while standing 16th in total saves with 39.
Game-Winning Grant. Grant scored the game-winning goal against Howard. This was Grant's first goal of the season and the second game-winner of his young career.
Big Shots. Huang has posted over three shots a game and 1.5 shots on goal per game, ranking in the top 50 in the nation and number one in the league.
Cole Mooney has accumulated 19 shots which is second in the conference.
Big Time Minutes. Only four VMI players have played in at least 80% of possible game minutes:
Alexei Royar,
Colin Blandford,
Timofey Dovgalyuk, and Murphy.
Sharing is Caring. Seven different Keydets have recorded a goal while seven different players have earned an assist.
NCAA D-I Success. The Keydets recorded their first win over a D-I opponent of the season, making it the second-straight season with D-I victories for the first time since the 2013/14 seasons.
Scouting the Highlanders
- Radford enters the match 0-9.
- Highlanders have been outscored, 22-4.
- Radford has faced one SoCon foe already, Wofford, and will take on UNC Greensboro next week.
- Highlanders have tallied four goals off 64 shots with 26 being on target.
- Radford goalies have recorded 51 saves and over five saves per game, the sixth most in the nation.
- Alex Eydelman has been key between the posts, producing 39 saves to rank 16th in D-I and averaging over five saves per game to rank fifth in the country.
- Three different Highlanders have produced goals while Dax Booth leads the team in points with three.
- Kevin Habibelahy boasts eight shots with five on goal.
- Four Highlanders have played and started in all nine games.
- Radford is seeking their first win since October 24, 2023.
Series History
- VMI is 6-23-2 against Radford.
- First matchup was in 1977 when the Keydets won, 3-1.
- Last season, VMI defeated Radford at home, 1-0.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
