Despite what projections, coach’s rankings, and fans had to say, West Virginia will be playing soccer on Thursday night.
The Sun Belt Conference’s regular season and postseason champions got bitter sweet news on Monday, learning that while they would have the honor of competing at the highest stage of collegiate soccer, they would be doing so as an unseeded team and without a first round bye.
West Virginia’s unseeded position came with controversy. The Mountaineers entered the Sun Belt Conference Championship ranked No. 10 in the nation before defeating No. 8 Marshall in penalty kicks for the title. Marshall earned the 13th seed in the tournament and the first round bye with it.
Nevertheless, head coach Dan Stratford’s Mountaineers take on North Florida on Thursday at 5 p.m. The match will be WVU’s first against a non-Sun Belt opponent since its 5-1 loss to Dayton on Oct. 15.
At 12-1-7, the Mountaineers boast a messier but preferrable record to the Ospreys, who sit at 7-7-4 in the Atlantic Sun. Like WVU, though, North Florida is proven in the postseason, winning its own conference championship in penalty kicks as well on Saturday.
First-year head coach Jamie Davies will lead his Ospreys in Morgantown against Stratford, whose Mountaineers are entering their third NCAA Tournament under his direction.
Davies’ impact on North Florida is obvious on paper, as he took the Ospreys, who were winless in conference play last season, to the Atlantic Sun title and an NCAA Tournament appearance for the first time in nearly a decade.
With its trademarked offensive pressure, West Virginia will be in the business of intimidating sophomore goalkeeper Luciano Natoli on Thursday, who sports a .593 save percentage this year and is forced to save 2.5 shots per match.
Offensively, senior forward Joaquin Acuna is the headliner for the Ospreys. The Atlantic Sun Tournament MVP and unanimous conference first-team selection has 10 goals this season on 45 shots, including 18 on goal.
5-foot-7 junior midfielder and forward David Perez was North Florida’s other conference first-teamer. In 33 shots and 17 on goal, Perez scored seven times this season and tallied two assists. Both Acuna and Perez scored once in the conference championship against Central Arkansas.
Of course North Florida’s stars will be looking to outplay Sun Belt Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year Sergio Ors Navarro and first round 2024 MLS Draft selection Marcus Caldeira at Dick Dlesk.
Ors Navarro and Caldeira took an absurd 67 and 57 shots respectively this year and know how to keep the ball near the opposing goal. Ors Navarro has 14 goals and four assists on 28 shots on goal this season while Caldeira sits at nine goals and one assist on his 24 shots on goal. The pair scored four and three game winners respectively this season.
With the star power, championship streak, and low seed fueling them, the Mountaineers will look to put on a show against North Florida, who enters with just as much momentum. The match is set to begin at 5 p.m. ET at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium and ESPN+.
Photo by Korey Moore, Blue Gold Sports
