BOONE, N.C. – The Appalachian State men's soccer team looks to make it three straight wins on Wednesday, as UAB comes to town for a 7 p.m. match. With a win, the 8-2-1 Mountaineers would beat their win total from last year, which was the highest win total since the 2015 season.
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Last Time Out
Appalachian State tallied its second straight conference win Saturday night, defeating Howard, 4-0. The 8-2-1 Mountaineers remain undefeated in conference play and have matched their win total from last season.
App State's offense exploded for four goals, tying the season-high they set at UNC Greensboro. The Mountaineers used two goals in the first half, followed by two in the second half to shut down the Bison. On the other side of the ball, the top Sun Belt defense put up its sixth shutout on the season, limiting Howard to just two shots, with only one on goal. App State goalkeeper
Jacob Madden made a great save late in the second half to keep his second straight clean sheet.
Hernandez Connection
The combination of
Juan Hernandez and
Alex Hernandez dominated the second half against Howard, both notching a goal and an assist. For the Mountaineers' third goal,
Alex Hernandez found
Juan Hernandez at the top of the box, who finished to the left side of the net for his first goal of the season, in the 54
th minute.
Juan Hernandez returned the favor just six minutes later, finding
Alex Hernandez for the Apps' fourth and final goal.
Alex Hernandez now has two goals on the year, and
Juan Hernandez is now tied for the team lead in assists with three.
National Rankings
The Mountaineers rank as one of the top defensive teams in the country – ranked fifth in save percentage (.854), sixth in shutout percentage (.636) and 12th in team goals against average (.624). Redshirt freshman goalkeeper
Jacob Madden is responsible for the Apps' success between the pipes, entering the week ranked 14th nationally in goal against average (.624).
United Soccer Coaches
App State was recently ranked 6th in the Southeast region by United Soccer Coaches, the sixth week in a row the Mountaineers have been ranked in the top 10 of the region. The Mountaineers are the highest ranked Sun Belt team in the Southeast region, ahead of Georgia Southern (8
th) and Georgia State (9
th).
Scouting UAB
The Blazers come into Wednesday's match fresh off a victory against South Carolina, posting their first shutout of the season with the 1-0 victory. UAB (2-8-1) is led offensively by Blake White, who leads the team in goals (4) and points (8). Grayson Dupont also adds two goals and assists. Julian Mehl and Seth Torman have split time in goal for the Blazers, with Torman holding the upper hand with a 1.65 goals against average and a .690 save percentage. He sits at 1-3-1 on the season, while Mehl has a 1-5-0 goalkeeping record.
Series History
This will be the third meeting between the two teams, with the series even at 1-1-0. UAB held the advantage in the last meeting, taking a narrow, 1-0 victory last year in Birmingham.
Up Next
The Mountaineers wrap up their homestand with a Saturday Sun Belt match against Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m.
