LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Men's Soccer continues a long road trip to New York State to battle Canisius and Niagara this weekend.
 
The Keydets (2-1) will battle the Golden Griffins in Buffalo, New York on Friday at 6 p.m. and then move up to Niagara Falls to face the Purple Eagles on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
Keys to the Keydets
Keydets Shut Out by Bulldogs. VMI took a 3-0 loss on the road against UNC Asheville.
 
New York, Baby. The Keydets are off to the north end of New York State to face Canisius and Niagara.
 
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.
 
Keydets Win Two in a Row. VMI handled Emory & Henry, 4-2, in week one before shutting out Warren Wilson, 4-0.
 
Leading the League. The Keydets lead all SoCon teams with eight goals, nine assists, 58 shots, 25 points, and 26 shots on goal.
 
Game Winners. Anthony Huang and Jesse Lee have each tallied game-winning goals.
 
Murphy Minutes. Goalkeeper Zack Murphy has played in over 256 minutes and has recorded 12 saves between the posts with one clean sheet.
 
Big Time Minutes. Only two VMI players have played in 95% of possible game minutes: Anthony Huang and Zack Murphy.
 
Martin the Martian. Grant Martin has been a key piece to the Keydets' offense, nabbing a pair of goals and an assist off the bench. He now holds the second-most points and goals in the SoCon.
 
Lee's Highway. In the win over Warren Wilson, Jesse Lee put up back-to-back goals, including the game-winner.
 
Welcome to VMI, Anthony Huang. The freshman forward nabbed the game-winning goal along with a pair of assists in his first collegiate outing.
 
Classic Chaffey. Elliot Chaffey has taken on a big role in the Keydets' back line, tallying a pair of assists in two games played.
 
Pressure On Goal. VMI has posted 26 shots on goal with over 19 shots a game in comparison to their opponents' 17 shots on goal with 12 shots per contest.
 
Sharing is Caring. Six different Keydets have recorded a goal while seven different players have earned an assist.
 
Nationally Acclaimed. The Keydets are ranked in the top 25 in seven different NCAA D-I categories including assists per game, points per game, scoring offense, shots per game, shots on goal, total assists, and total points.
 
Scouting the Opponents
- Canisius enters the weekend 1-3 while Niagara comes into the match 0-4.
- Canisius is coming off a 3-0 win over Central Connecticut.
- Niagara, who fell to Navy 3-0 on Monday, will face Duquesne on Thursday before hosting VMI.
- Golden Griffins roster consists of two graduate students, four seniors, six juniors, 12 sophomores, and five freshmen.
- Purple Eagles roster will have two graduate students, nine seniors, three juniors, eight sophomores, and four freshmen.
- Canisius Head Coach Michael Tanke has been at the helm since 2022.
- Niagara Head Coach Bill Boyle enters his ninth season.
- Both opponents are members of the MAAC.
- Golden Griffins have posted seven goals off 56 shots with 28 coming on goal.
- Purple Eagles have tallied two goals off 40 shots with 22 on target.
- Canisius' goalies have recorded 13 saves with 52 shots faced.
- Niagara goalkeepers have made 28 saves with 74 shots faced.
- Purple Eagles' Jamie Barry boasts seven saves per game, the third most among NCAA D-I goalkeepers and fourth most among all D-I teams, and has made all 28 saves, the second highest in the nation.
- Golden Griffins' Michael Switala and Luke Szablewski have earned a pair of goals to lead Canisius' scorers.
 
Series History
- VMI is 0-1 against Canisius and Niagara.
- Last meeting against Canisius was 2017 (L, 5-0).
- Last meeting against Niagara was 2018 (L, 3-1).
- This will be the second matchup in Buffalo, NY.
- This will be the first time the Keydets have played in Niagara Falls, NY.
 
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.