Season Opener Preview
Friday night will see the West Virginia University men’s soccer squad travel to Greensboro, North Carolina, where they are scheduled to meet the No. 21 ranked UNC Greensboro at 7 p.m. at the UNCG Soccer Stadium. The encounter marks the Mountaineers’ first test of the season against a team that entered the preseason poll in second place behind Furman, a 2025 national semifinalist.
WVU arrived on the back of a 1‑0 victory over St. Bonaventure, a result secured when Julen Recalde found the net and both Sammie Walker and Aurélien Cormier contributed assists, while goalkeeper Toby Mawer made two crucial saves. That win improved the Mountaineers to 1‑1‑0 on the young campaign, continuing a stretch that has seen them appear in three consecutive NCAA Tournaments.
The Mountaineers enter the match as preseason favorites in the Sun Belt Conference, a status bolstered by the fact that they return 15 players from last year’s roster and have added 15 newcomers, including six transfers from the portal and nine freshmen. Head coach Pablo Pozos, the 2026 Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, headlines a group that also features junior midfielders Isaac Scheer and Nacho Martinez, both named to the preseason All‑Conference team.
UNC Greensboro, meanwhile, opened its season with a win over VCU and a draw against San Francisco, positioning itself at 1‑0‑1. The Spartans’ preseason coaches poll placed them second behind Furman, and they will rely on a core that includes Steven Hernandez, Mohammed Sumaila and Seth Wilson, all recognized on the SoCon Preseason Men’s Soccer All‑Conference Team.
Beyond the team dynamics, individual accolades are already shaping the narrative. Pozos’ 11 goals and three assists in his debut season earned him the preseason offensive player honor, while the midfield duo of Scheer and Martinez bring experience that could prove decisive against a disciplined Greensboro side.
The upcoming clash therefore represents more than a simple season opener; it is a litmus test for a WVU squad that blends veteran leadership with fresh talent, and for a Greensboro team eager to climb from its second‑place preseason standing. Fans on both sides will be watching closely as the Mountaineers look to translate preseason promise into early‑season execution.