Cardinals Head to West Virginia for NCAA Second Round

The University of Louisville men’s soccer team is gearing up for their second-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament against No. 5 West Virginia. The game is set to take place on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET in Morgantown and will be televised on ESPN+. 

In the opening round, the Cardinals secured a thrilling 4-3 victory over Dayton at their home stadium. Josh Jones, David Boccuzzo, and Bryce LeBel all found the back of the net in the first half, while Brandon McManus scored the game-winning goal in the 64th minute.

Louisville, under the guidance of head coach John Michael Hayden, aims to reach the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in program history. Their last appearance in the third round was in 2019, Hayden’s inaugural season as head coach.

When it comes to the history between Louisville and West Virginia, Louisville holds the advantage with a 4-2-1 record. However, the two teams have not faced each other since their time in the Big East in 2010. Louisville has won one game and lost one game when playing in Morgantown.

This marks the third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance for the Cardinals under coach Hayden’s leadership. In fact, this is Louisville’s 15th overall NCAA appearance, with all of them occurring within the last 17 seasons. Only six programs, including Louisville, have made at least 15 of the last 17 tournaments.

As they head into the NCAA Tournament, Louisville can boast of being battle-tested. Their schedule was one of the toughest in the country, with nine matches against NCAA Tournament teams and two exhibition matches against postseason qualifiers. Louisville managed to secure victories against Kentucky, Pitt, and No. 2 national seed Notre Dame, finishing with a 3-4-2 record against tournament teams.

Sander Roed, the midfielder for Louisville, has had an impressive season in terms of assists. He is currently tied for the seventh-most assists in program history with eight. In the win over Dayton, Roed added two more assists to his tally, bringing his season total to nine and his career total to 22. This puts him in a tie for third all-time at Louisville. Tim Kubel currently holds the program’s career record with 26 assists.

Another notable duo for the Cardinals is Josh Jones and Sander Roed. Since their arrival at Louisville in 2021, they have formed a dynamic partnership, especially on set pieces. In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against Dayton, Roed provided the assist for Jones’ opening goal off a corner kick. This marked Jones’ eighth career goal, all of which have been assisted by Roed.

Louisville has showcased a strong offensive attack throughout the season, averaging over two goals per match. They have been particularly effective in the early stages of games, scoring first in 14 out of their 20 matches. Their quick starts include finding the back of the net within the first ten minutes in three matches and within the first 15 minutes in four matches.

For fans looking to stay updated on Louisville men’s soccer, they can follow the team on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LouisvilleMSOC.