DAN STRATFORD
A new era is on the horizon for the West Virginia University men’s soccer team, as Dan Stratford, the program’s 10th head coach is prepared to begin his tenure after more than a year of waiting his turn. Stratford, fresh off his second NCAA Division II National Championship in three years at the University of Charleston, was hired to lead his alma mater in January 2020. However, his chance to show off his team to Mountaineer Nation comes more than a year after his hiring due to the delay of fall sports Mid-American Conference because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mountaineers were able to make the most of an unusual fall, competing in six intersquad scrimmages to make up the time they would normally spend competing on the national level. Those six scrimmages gave the Mountaineers the much-needed opportunity to bond as a team, with a new head coach and 12 newcomers on the roster.
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“When the guys returned in August, we knew almost immediately that we wouldn’t be having a regular season in the fall,” Stratford said. “To an extent, we have been working toward the beginning of our season since August. We were really pleased with what we were able to achieve during that period of time. The six intersquad games gave us the opportunity to see the team in an 11 vs. 11 format, in our kits and on our home field, which was very important. Hopefully, when we reach our first game this season, it’s not all brand new to them.” Stratford’s inaugural season follows a celebrated postseason run for the Mountaineers in 2019. West Virginia claimed its first MAC Tournament championship and made its 14th NCAA Tournament appearance, advancing to the Second Round for the second consecutive season and eighth time ever. Despite the departure of seven seniors who led the squad last season, the Mountaineers are optimistic that
they can carry on the successes they enjoyed late in 2019. West Virginia returns seven players who saw action in at least nine matches in 2019, including five who scored at least one goal. Members of WVU’s 24-man roster hail from seven different states and six different countries. Most notable is the squad’s West Virginia roots, as four student-athletes hail from the Mountain State. Standout goalkeeper Steven Tekesky returns to Morgantown for his senior campaign, ranking No. 4 in program history with 27 wins, No. 5 with 4,658 minutes played and No. 6 in starts (5), saves (164), shutouts (14) and goals-against average (1.29). Tekesky was named the 2019 MAC Tournament MVP and was joined by returners Josh DiMatteo and Luke McCormick on the MAC All-Tournament Team. WVU’s 2021, 12-match slate features a double round-robin MAC schedule, as well as nonconference matchups against Charlotte and
