LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Men's Soccer hits the road one last time in 2024 and will travel to Stone Stadium in Greenville, South Carolina to face Furman in Southern Conference play.
The Keydets (5-6-2, 0-2-0 SoCon) look to avenge their postseason loss to the Paladins (5-3-2, 0-1-0 SoCon) last season. With less than one month until the conference tournament, VMI and Furman both seek their first league result.
Keys to the Keydets
Keydets Send Squirrels into Early Hibernation. VMI scored a whopping 10 goals against Mary Baldwin on Wednesday for an emphatic 10-0 victory at Patchin Field.
10 Piece and 40 Count. The Keydets had 10 goals off 41 shots against the Squirrels. The 10 goals are the most since 1979 and the third-most scored in an NCAA D-I match this season. 41 shots is the most shots in an NCAA D-I match in 2024.
Sharing the Wealth. Seven VMI players scored a goal with six different Keydets earning an assist.
Home Stretch. VMI will end its season with five of its last six matches at Patchin Field.
Home Sweet Home. VMI has started 4-0 at home for the first time ever and is currently 5-1 at Patchin Field. The four-straight home wins is the longest such streak since 1994.
Home Goal Differential. The Keydets have outscored their opponents, 22-6, when playing on Patchin Field this season.
Martin the Martian. Grant Martin leads the team with five goals and 12 points. He leads the conference in goals and is third in points.
No Days Off. Only three Keydets have played in all 12 matches: Martin,
Woongchan Oh, and
Alexei Royar.
Leading the League. The Keydets lead all SoCon teams in goals, assists, shots, and shots on target.
Big Shots. Anthony Huang and
Cole Mooney have produced a conference-leading 31 shots apiece.
Top 25 in the Country. VMI ranks 16th in the nation with nearly five saves per game. The Keydets also stand 10th in shots per game with almost 16.
Murphy Minutes. Goalkeeper
Zack Murphy has played in over 1,000 minutes and has recorded 57 saves between the posts with a clean sheet and two shared shutouts.
Life Saver. Murphy ranks eighth in saves per game with just under five while standing seventh in total saves with 57. His 57 saves and five saves per game rank second in the conference.
Sharing is Caring. 12 different Keydets have recorded a goal while 11 have earned an assist.
Scouting the Paladins
- Furman enters the weekend 5-3-2 with a 0-1-0 conference record.
- Paladins are 1-1-1 at Stone Stadium.
- Furman lost to UNC Greensboro, 1-0, last weekend.
- Paladins defeated #23 College of Charleston, 4-2, in September along with beating Presbyterian, 2-0, on Tuesday.
- Furman will play in four straight SoCon matches.
- Paladins rank number one in the conference in shots on target percentage, shot accuracy, and shots on goal per game.
- Christian Kraus ranks number one in the SoCon and top 100 in the nation with over one shot on goal per game.
- Furman ranks top 50 in the country in shot accuracy and shots on goal per game.
- Paladins have produced 14 goals off 17 assists on 126 shots with 62 shots on target.
- Kraus has produced a team-leading three goals, three assists, nine points, 16 shots, and 12 shots on goal.
- Ivan Agyaakwah and Lloyd Wamu Snell each have three goals while Luke Hutzell and Slade Starnes have three assists apiece.
- Aaron Salinas leads the Paladins between the posts, recording 26 saves with a 1.20 goals against average and two clean sheets.
Series History
- VMI is 1-40-1 all-time versus Furman.
- First matchup was in 1976.
- Last matchup in 2023 resulted in a 4-1 win for the Paladins during the SoCon Championship opening round.
- This will be the 20th meeting in Greenville, South Carolina.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
