WEEKLY NOTES

NEW ORLEANS – All 10 Sun Belt men’s soccer teams kick off league play on Friday, September 19. All five matches will be broadcast on ESPN+
 
WEST VIRGINIA’S TITLE DEFENSE
The 13th-ranked Mountaineers (4-1-1) enter conference play as the reigning regular season and conference champions. They open league play at home after two straight wins on the road at No. 22 George Mason and Longwood. Pablo Pozos leads the Sun Belt and is third in the nation with six goals on the season, while senior Marcus Caldeira leads the conference and is third in the country with five assists. Caldeira, the Preseason Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, also has four goals this season to give him 13 points, tied with Pozos for seventh most in the nation.
 
HERD ON WATCH
No. 6 Marshall (2-0-3) begins league play as the highest-ranking team in the Sun Belt. Coming off a season in which they made it to the College Cup final, the Herd chases its second Sun Belt title. Marshall relies on its high-powered offense that ranks 20th in the country in goals per game (2.20) and 16th in shots on goal (7). The Herd faces a Coastal Carolina (1-3) team that hasn’t won since its season opener on August 8.
 
KNIGHTS MEET THE WILDCATS
UCF (2-3-1) had the Sun Belt’s toughest non-conference schedule, facing No. 15 North Carolina in their season opener, No. 4 Wake Forest and No. 23 UNCG. UCF continues with tough play as it heads to No. 22 Kentucky for its Sun Belt opener. UCF will have to get through a Wildcat defense that ranks 19th in shutout percentage (.600) and 31st in save percentage (.833).
 
SOUTHERN STANDARD
Georgia Southern (5-0-1) worked their way into the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 for the first time this season, entering at No. 25 this week. The Eagles currently sit atop the league standings, as they have won by slim margins, winning all but one of their six matches by just a single goal. Forward Ricky Louis ranks third nationally in game-winning goals with three and 25th in total goals with four. Georgia Southern goes on the road to Old Dominion (2-2-2) to open league play.
 
CAROLINA COOL
South Carolina swept the Sun Belt men’s soccer weekly awards for the second consecutive week after an unbeaten week of action that included a win over No. 11 UNCG. Ethan Ballek was the Offensive Player of the Week after totaling eight points. Against UNCG, Ballek contributed to both goals, scoring the first and assisting on the second goal which proved to be the game-winner. With six goals, five assists and 14 points, he now ranks in the top 10 nationally in all three categories.
 
 WHERE TO WATCH

Date	Time	Matchup	Broadcast
Fri., Sept. 19	6:00 p.m.	James Madison at West Virginia	ESPN+
Fri., Sept. 19	6:00 p.m.	Georgia State at South Carolina	ESPN+
Fri., Sept. 19	6:00 p.m.	Coastal Carolina at Marshall	ESPN+
Fri., Sept. 19	6:00 p.m.	Georgia Southern at Old Dominion	ESPN+
Fri., Sept. 19	6:30 p.m.	UCF at Kentucky	ESPN+