LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Men's Soccer hosts Queens (N.C.) for one last non-league season match Tuesday at Patchin Field. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m.
The Keydets (5-8-2, 0-4-0) enter the week with five victories, looking for a record-breaking sixth win which would mark the most single-season wins since 2007. Standing in the way are the Royals (3-9-3, 1-2-2) who seek their third non-conference win of the year.
Keys to the Keydets
Keydets Hold Spartans to One Goal. VMI held its own in a 1-0 loss to UNC Greensboro, a team that received votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll.
1, 2, 3 in History. Alexei Royar,
Cole Mooney, and
Drew Menges rank top three in program history in minutes played by a non-goalie.
Moving Up. With at least three games remaining, Mooney and Royar are on track to move into the top five all-time in career games played. They sit at 67 and need to play in 70.
The Ultimate Assist. Mooney is two assists shy from moving into the top five all-time in career assists.
Home Sweet Home. VMI has started 4-0 at home for the first time ever and is currently 5-2 at Patchin Field. The four-straight home wins is the longest such streak since 1994.
Home Goal Differential. The Keydets have outscored their opponents, 22-7, when playing on Patchin Field.
Martin the Martian. Grant Martin leads the team with six goals and 14 points. He is second in the conference in goals and third in points.
Spreading the Love. Anthony Huang leads the team and the league in assists with six. Huang's six assists and 0.46 assists per game rank 41st in the nation, respectively.
No Days Off. Only three Keydets have played in all 14 matches: Martin,
Woongchan Oh, and Royar.
Leading the League. The Keydets lead all SoCon teams in assists and shots.
Big Shots. Mooney has produced a conference-leading 34 shots while Huang has tallied 31 shots, good enough for second in the league.
Top 50 in the Country. VMI ranks 11th in saves per game and 24th in shots per game.
Murphy Minutes. Zack Murphy has played in nearly 1,200 minutes and has recorded 73 saves between the posts with a clean sheet and two shared shutouts.
Life Saver. Murphy ranks sixth in saves per game with over five while standing seventh in total saves with 73. Both stats rank first in the conference.
Scouting the Royals
- Queens is 3-9-3 overall with a 1-2-2 conference record.
- Royals are a member of the ASUN Conference.
- Queens transitioned to NCAA Division I in July 2022.
- Due to being in the transition period, Queens cannot compete for an NCAA Championship nor be ranked in statistical categories.
- Royals have faced four ranked opponents in RV South Carolina, #19 Virginia Tech, #8 Clemson, and #10 Duke.
- Queens defeated ETSU in an exhibition match but lost to Wofford in the season opener.
- This will be the Royals final non-conference game.
- Queens has tallied 12 goals and 14 assists off 121 shots with 44 shots on target.
- Royals have posted 75 saves.
- Caio Brandao leads the team with four goals, three assists, 11 points, 25 shots, and 10 shots on goal.
- Ciro Bourlot Jaeggi is also producing big numbers for the Royals, earning three goals and three assists.
- Matheus Rhormens boasts 53 saves in 10 games played and started.
Series History
- VMI is 1-0 against Queens.
- Last season marked the first matchup between the two programs, leading to a 4-2 Keydets victory.
- This will be the first meeting on Patchin Field.
- Mooney scored twice while Martin and
Conner Reid each tallied a goal in last year's win.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
