LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Men's Soccer will have a split week, traveling to Clinton, South Carolina to battle Presbyterian before returning to Patchin Field to host Howard.
The Keydets (2-3) will complete a season-long four-match road swing on Thursday at Presbyterian and then come back to the VMI faithful on Saturday to face Howard on Alumni Weekend. Fans and VMI Soccer alumni are invited to a pregame meet-and-greet with the team before the 4 p.m. kickoff.
Keys to the Keydets
Keydets Stumble in New York. VMI fell to a pair of New York teams last weekend, dropping 2-0 to Canisius and 5-0 to Niagara.
Long Road Trip. In September, VMI has been on the road in five of the six scheduled contests.
Putting Up Shots. In NCAA Division I, VMI ranks 25th in shots per game with over 15. The Keydets also rank in the top 50 in shots on goal per game.
History's in the Past. VMI has won back-to-back games to open a season for the first time since 2005. With the win, it marked the first time both VMI men's and women's soccer teams started a season 2-0.
Scoring Frenzy. VMI has scored the most goals (8)in the first two matches of a season since 1999.
Leading the League. At the beginning of the week, the Keydets lead all SoCon teams in points per game, scoring offense, shots per game, shots on goal per game, total goals, and total points.
Game Winners. Anthony Huang and
Jesse Lee have each tallied game-winning goals.
Murphy Minutes. Goalkeeper
Zack Murphy has played in 437 minutes and has recorded 22 saves between the posts with one clean sheet.
Big Time Minutes. Only two VMI players have played in 90% of possible game minutes:
Anthony Huang and
Zack Murphy.
Sharing is Caring. Six different Keydets have recorded a goal while seven different players have earned an assist.
Scouting the Opponents
- Presbyterian enters the week 2-2-1 while Howard comes to Patchin Field with an 0-3 record.
- The Blue Hose earned victories over Eskrine, 9-0, and Coastal Carolina, 3-2, along with tying against SoCon affiliate, ETSU.
- The Bison have had close outings against Deleware, UMBC, and George Mason.
- Presbyterian has outscored its opponents, 15-8, while taking 75 shots with 35 on target.
- Howard has tallied five goals off 31 shots with 15 on goal.
- Blue Hose has nabbed 15 assists while the Bison have recorded four.
- Presbyterian Head Coach Nick Finotti enters his second season while Howard Head Coach Phillip Gyau returns for season number 11.
- Blue Hose ranks in the top 10 nationally in assists per game, points per game, total assists, total points, total goals, and scoring offense.
- Presbyterian's Damorney Hutchinson ranks eighth in shots on goal per game, ninth in shots per game, 30th in goals per game, and 33rd in points per game.
- Howard's Mason Christian leads the team with two goals and four points while Bryson Baker boasts eight shots and four shots on goal.
- Liam Keiller has 10 saves for the Bison while Loan Marin has 18 saves for the Blue Hose.
Series History
- VMI is 1-7-2 against Presbyterian and 2-9-6 against Howard.
- First meeting against the Blue Hose was in 2007 while the last match was a 1-0 loss in 2023.
- First meeting against the Bison was in 2004 while the last match was a 2-1 loss on the road in 2023.
- Howard is visiting VMI for the first time since 2021.
- Keydets will travel to Presbyterian for the fifth time.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
