WVU plays its first game at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium on Monday, August 24, at 6 p.m. They face St. Bonaventure after losing their season opener to Charlotte. No. 23 West Virginia fell, 3-0, to Charlotte at Jen Gaber Field in North Carolina. It was a tough loss, but Charlotte won the 2025 American Athletic Conference regular-season title. Still, it was a match WVU should have won, but now they turn their sights to St. Bonaventure. Keep reading to see how they match up against the Bonnies. Read more: WVU Men’s Soccer home opener preview vs. St. Bonaventure.
St. Bonaventure
The Bonnies opened their season with a 2-0 victory over Niagara on August 20. They traveled to Niagara Falls, New York, and took down the Purple Eagles with relative ease. Jack Steel scored the first goal off an assist by Josh Seyer in the eighth minute.
They took that one-goal lead into the break and scored quickly in the second half. Kyle Macfarlane scored the second and final goal of the game following a corner kick. Macfarlane’s first shot bounced off the post to Daniel Helle, who found Macfarlane again. He scored on his second attempt in the 61st minute.
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St. Bonaventure tallied 11 shots in their first game, with seven on target. Niagara only had six shots with two on target. They shut out the Purple Eagles and only needed two saves from goalkeeper Winston Jory. Jory, a junior transfer from Feather River College, was the 2025 Golden Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Year. He posted 122 saves and 19 shutouts in 2025 and will face a true test against a ranked West Virginia team.
West Virginia
The Mountaineers had a rough outing in the first game of the season. Goalkeeper Toby Mawer allowed three goals and saved four in the first start of his career. You can see the recap here, and we can dive into the stats behind the loss.
Charlotte scored a deflating goal with 20 seconds remaining in the first half. That goal took the life out of the Mountaineers heading into the break. WVU must remain locked in for a full 90 minutes and avoid miscues. The Mountaineers finished with nine shots, even with Charlotte, but had three fewer (4) shots on goal. They had four more corner kicks (8) but could not convert any of them.
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Charlotte had 15 fouls in the match, to West Virginia’s six. It was a physical match, and Charlotte did a great job of playing physical without the fouls affecting them. Junior Kanta Ishii led the Mountaineers with three shots, while Tyler Londono Zapata and Pablo Pozos had two shots. Ishii and Pozos both had two shots on goal.
Preview
The Bonnies committed 11 fouls in their outing and will likely play a physical game against the Mountaineers. West Virginia must play through and match the physicality. Senior Pablo Pozos was selected as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and must continue to stay aggressive on goal. Jory is facing a big test against a ranked opponent, and Pozos should make him work.
Nacho Martinez and Isaac Scheer earned Preseason All-Sun Belt honors. They must control the ball and pace. 11 players made their St. Bonaventure debuts against Niagara, so they are still finding their chemistry. WVU returned 15 players from last year’s squad, so the experience should shine through against the Bonnies. The Mountaineers have a lot to prove after an embarrassing loss to Charlotte in the opener.
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