RSC Game of the Week: Men's Soccer -- #2 Rio Grande at #13 WVU Tech, Thursday 7 pm ET
RSC Game of the Week: Men's Soccer -- #2 Rio Grande at #13 WVU Tech, Thursday 7 pm ET
VIDEO / STATS
BECKLEY, W.Va. -- A matchup of highly ranked teams in the NAIA Men's Soccer Top 25 takes center stage for Week 6 of the River States Conference Game of the Week when No. 2 University of Rio Grande (11-1) plays at No. 13 WVU Tech (11-1-1) on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.
Rio Grande has been ranked first or second in the nation all year long, and WVU Tech has been steadily rising in the polls since the first rankings of the regular season came out last month. Thursday's matchup has big implications in the RSC men's soccer standings with both the RedStorm and Golden Bears currently tied for first at 3-0 RSC.
Live video and stats will be provided by WVU Tech sports information at the links above. Follow the RSC Game of the Week on Twitter with hashtag #RSCgotw and @RiverStatesConf and @RSCscores.
Last year's meetings had Rio Grande come away with a home win over WVU Tech in the regular season via a 3-0 victory. That win gave Rio Grande the edge in the standings, and eventually host the conference tournament championship game where it beat WVU Tech, 3-1.
Now the regular-season matchup shifts to Beckley, W.Va., and the host Golden Bears are riding a conference-best, eight-game winning streak. WVU Tech's last six games have all been shut-out victories. It is outscoring opponents, 30-0, in that span. The Golden Bears have nine shutouts on the year. WVU Tech ranks sixth in the nation in total goals with 45, and they rank second in the nation in assists with 41.
Rio Grande carries a four-game win streak into Thursday night's game. The RedStorm's 13th game on the season will be its sixth matchup versus an NAIA Top 25 team on the year. Rio Grande is 4-1 versus ranked team thus far with wins over Indiana Wesleyan, Southeastern, Union and Lindsey Wilson.
Rio Grande ranks eighth in the nation with 44 total goals and also eighth in shots per game (21.3). The RedStorm defense has seven shutouts, which ranks 11th nationally.
The RedStorm won its first seven games of the year before a tough loss at nationally ranked Northwestern Ohio Sept. 17. Since then, it has outscored its opponents 25-1 in four games, which was started with a 2-1 win over then-No. 19 Lindsey Wilson.
About the River States Conference Game of the Week:
The River States Conference Game of the Week is selected by the conference office to highlight a specific game of importance each week.. For the fall season, the RSC Game of the Week will rotate between the sports of men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball with one game highlighted each week. In the selection process, special consideration will be given to important conference matchups, games versus NAIA Top 25 teams and the overall conference schedule.