MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — For the 16th time in program history and the second time under head coach Dan Stratford, WVU men’s soccer is NCAA Tournament bound.
The Mountaineers (14-2-4) learned Monday that they are the fifth seed in the national tournament, meaning they earned a first-round bye and will host at least the eighth seed in final, if they advance. .
Their side of the draw features several familiar teams and faces who could become opponents again – if the Mountaineers manage to make the tournament.
How far does he go? Here’s what’s possible if West Virginia qualifies for the College Cup:
Possible opponents in the second round: Louisville, Dayton
The Mountaineers will host a red-clad opponent after their first-round bye. The Cardinals and Flyers will face off this week for the right to face WVU in the second round.
West Virginia defeated Dayton 1-0 on September 19. After watching the tournament pairings, Stratford said WVU played one of its worst games of the season against the Flyers.
Although WVU hasn’t played Louisville in men’s soccer since 2010, there are some ties to the program.
Stratford’s stint as an assistant at the University of Charleston overlapped with that of current Cardinals assistant Sean Teepen, who moved to the bench after a standout four-year career as a goaltender for the Golden Eagles.
A matchup with Louisville would also mean a matchup with WVU junior Dante Huckaby’s former teammates.
The Morgantown native played two seasons for the Cardinals before transferring to his hometown school before the start of the 2023 campaign. Huckaby played significant minutes this season as a right guard and midfielder central.
Possible Sweet-16 opponent: UCF
A rematch with the Knights never happened in the Sun Belt tournament. Could this happen at the national tournament?
If No. 5 seed WVU and No. 12 seed UCF both advance to the round of 32, they will meet in Morgantown the weekend after Thanksgiving.
The Mountaineers advanced to the quarterfinals and semifinals of the conference tournament in games hosted at UCF. But the Knights bowed out of the tournament after one game, following a surprising loss to South Carolina.
When the teams met in the regular season, they drew 2-2 in Orlando in the top five.
Other potential Sweet 16 opponents for WVU include Vermont and Rider. These two programs are not ranked among the 48 teams.
Regardless of the opponent, WVU will host the round of 16, if it advances.
Eight eight possible opponents: Georgetown, James Madison, Pitt
If the bottom left of the NCAA Tournament bracket goes to chalk, WVU would have a chance to redeem itself.
Georgetown is the No. 4 seed nationally, which means the road to the College Cup in the WVU portion of the bracket technically goes through Washington, DC.
In 2021, West Virginia’s hopes of winning the College Cup ended in penalty shootouts at Shaw Field. The Hoyas also beat WVU in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament on their home court.
However, two other familiar opponents could emerge from the Georgetown quadrant, if they are able to pull off an early upset.
Either James Madison or Pitt will earn the right to face the Hoyas in the second round. WVU tied 2-2 in October against the Dukes. He most recently faced Pitt last season, losing on the road.
Pitt is by far WVU’s most played foe in men’s soccer. The Mountaineers are 35-11-5 overall in the Backyard Brawl since 1962.
Possible College Cup Semifinals Opponent: Marshall
Yes, it will take a lot to make this a reality. Even as the No. 1 and No. 5 seeds respectively, Marshall and West Virginia will need to beat three quality opponents to reach the College Cup.
But if it happens, football fans across the Mountain State – and across the country – will be treated to a blockbuster showdown.
West Virginia defeated Marshall 5-2 at home on October 18. The Herd got revenge Sunday in Huntington, completing a Sun Belt Conference doubleheader with a 3-2 victory in the tournament final. Immediately after this match, the head coaches of both teams joked that they would love to face each other a third time.
If the stars align, it would certainly mark the highest-stakes meeting between the two Mountain State rivals in men’s soccer — and perhaps any sport.
