WVU heads on road after week of break

In the two games it played last weekend, the West Virginia men's soccer team was on the pitch for 207 minutes.

In those two double-overtime thrillers against UNC Wilmington and Monmouth, The Mountaineers came away with a 1-1 record in those games.

Since that grueling weekend, head coach Marlon LeBlanc's team has had nearly a week off. LeBlanc said it has had ample time to rest before heading to Virginia Beach, Va., to play in the 35th Annual Stihl Soccer Classic.

"We've had a couple of good recovery days this week," LeBlanc said. "And we have until Friday to get rested up, so we should be fine."

After having their hands full with those two nationally ranked squads last week, things don't look any easier this weekend. WVU will take on William and Mary Friday before playing host team Old Dominion Sunday.

"We like to play teams that we know are always going to give us a good challenge and prepare us for the most difficult situations possible," LeBlanc said. "Both of these teams are going to be very composed, and they aren't going to beat themselves out there."

William and Mary finished last year with a record of 13-5-1 and started the 2010 season with a 3-1 win over Loyola Tuesday.

Leading the way this year for the Tribe are seniors Alan Koger and Nat Baako. Koger finished 2009 with six goals and three assists. Baako, a member of the Hermann Award Watch List, had three goals and five assists last season.

Old Dominion picked up two shutouts last week to start its season. The Monarchs beat Coastal Carolina 1-0 Saturday and took down Florida Gulf Coast 2-0 Monday.

The Monarchs have a sophomore forward duo – Yannick Smith and Shane Howard – to lead the way. As freshmen, Smith scored four goals and notched five assists, while Howard had a team-high six assists.

While it's no secret William and Mary and Old Dominion can score, West Virginia showed over the weekend it could push the envelope on the offensive end, as well. The Mountaineers took 37 shots against Monmouth and UNC Wilmington and were finally able to get on the board with three goals against UNC Wilmington.

"I don't know if we're more confident now," LeBlanc said. "But it was good to get that monkey off our backs because of everyone who was talking about us not scoring."