Soccer is in the air for the West Liberty University Men’s and Women’s soccer teams as they gear up for their seasons.
COVID-19 has brought a heavy gloom onto each respectable program the past couple years. There has been a placed restriction on the amount of games each program can play, but it appears as though both the men’s and women’s teams are thoroughly prepared for a normal season- at least as normal as you can get in today’s day in age.

Beginning with the analysis of the Men’s Hilltopper soccer club roster, first impressions indicate that the beginning of the regular season will undoubtedly be a challenging one. The WLU men’s team opened up their season with an impressive win by the score of 3-1 against a competitive opponent in Mercyhurst, who has not lost a game since 2019. Although there is much to be proud of with their upset, there will not be much time to relish in the early success, as the team will have a rather quick turnaround.

The Hilltoppers will face the top team in the country Sept. 5, otherwise known as the University of Charleston. Charleston, the 2019 Division II National Champion, impressed early in the 2021 preseason, beating Marshall University, the 2021 Division I National Champion, by the final score of 4-3. Following their contest with Charleston, West Liberty will hit the road for a three game stretch, including contests against Concord University, Frostburg State University and Notre Dame College (Ohio).
The club then returns for a four game homestand against the likes of Alderson Broaddus University, West Virginia Wesleyan College, Wheeling University, and once again Notre Dame College (Ohio). With eight Mountain East Conference games to follow, including one out of conference game against California University of Pennsylvania, the Hilltoppers hope to gear up for the Mountain East Conference Tournament on Nov. 8. With a team featuring an eye popping twenty-seven freshmen, the young Hilltoppers look to make noise all throughout the season. Please see the next page for women’s soccer preview.

The West Liberty University women’s soccer team will also have a long battle against Mountain East Conference foes. The WLU women’s team lost a heartbreaker to Seton Hill University in their season opener, by the final score of 1-0. Unbelievable goaltending play by Seton Hill stole a victory away from West Liberty, who conceded the only goal of the game midway through the first half.

The loss was a difficult pill to swallow, but the Lady Hilltoppers will look forward to redemption in their upcoming games against Notre Dame College (Ohio), Alderson Broaddus University and Frostburg State University. Their game against Salem University on Sept. 8 was cancelled.

The team will then finish their season with ten straight MEC contests. The Women’s Soccer Mountain East Conference Tournament will also begin on November 8th. Likewise of the men, the WLU Women’s team is also freshmen topheavy, with a staggering twenty-one freshmen competing for playing time on the field.

Make sure to follow and support both teams this year as they look to build on their recent successes.