MORGANTOWN — For the 2023 West Virginia University men’s soccer team, this season was one for the history books.
In just the fourth year with head coach Dan Stratford at the helm, the Mountaineers quickly became one of the more dangerous teams in the nation. Beginning the season unranked, WVU became a staple in not just the top-25 rankings, but the top-10.
The Mountaineers made history in multiple ways, setting a program record for wins (17), a 5-2 victory at home over then-No. 1 Marshall on Oct. 18, reaching the highest national ranking in program history (No. 2), setting multiple attendance records at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium and reaching WVU’s first appearance in the College Cup semifinals.
After finishing the 2022 season 7-7-4 with only four victories at home in Morgantown and a 2-6-1 record in true road games, the 2023 Mountaineers achieved an overall record of 17-3-4, while going unbeaten in Morgantown with three draws (9-0-3) and winning six games on the road (6-2-1). WVU held a 2-1 record in neutral-site games.
WVU’s season came to an end Friday night with a 1-0 loss to perennial power Clemson in the College Cup semifinals in Louisville, Ky.
“I like to think we are an aspiring Clemson,” Stratford said Friday. “We would love to have ten College Cup appearances and three national championships but for us at the moment, we want to make sure we are a top ten team consistently year in and year out, hopefully working toward a national championship eventually.”
Sophomore striker Marcus Caldeira (second team) and senior winger Yutaro Tsukada (third team) were both named All-Americans.
The 2023 Mountaineers will forever be remembered in the history of the program for the things they achieved on the field, but they’ll also be remembered as the team that changed the face of WVU men’s soccer going forward.
Multiple attendance records of over 3,100 people were set at DDSS this season, and the staff and players all know how important the support of the fans is for the team. Junior Otto Ollikainen, who will return next season for WVU, expressed how much the support meant to the team this season and how much they look forward to returning to play in front of their home crowd this coming August.
“The support of the fans today and throughout the season means a lot to us,” he said. “We know we have the best fans in the nation and to see them show up by the hundreds all the way here in Louisville to support us is massive. It says a lot about the soccer culture that is building in our school and we want to leave a legacy that can be remembered.”
The Mountaineers will bid farewell to some key players from the 2023 squad like goalkeeper Jackson Lee, Tsukada, Ryan Baer and Sergio Ors Navarro. But others like Caldeira, Ollikainen, Max Broughton and Freddie Jorgensen are slated to return for Stratford and WVU in 2024. Senior midfielder Dyon Dromers, who could have been a starter this season, will also be set to return from a season-long injury for the Mountaineers in 2024.
For the ones moving on, Stratford says they’ll forever be remembered for their contributions to the program. Some players, like Baer who spent all four years under Stratford since he became head coach, showed their appreciation for their coach after the loss on Friday.
“I can’t thank him enough for what he has done and meant to the team and program,” Baer said before directly addressing Stratford. “Thank you for being a great coach and person to every one of us, we wouldn’t be anywhere without you.”
Stratford reciprocated the feelings.
“All the seniors mean an incredible amount and this has been a special group,” he said. “All the seniors completely bought in this year and it’s sad because I love these boys and now we will have to move on and reload as we do. It’s the end of their journey but they’ve served the school and team very well and it’s just a great group. There aren’t any bad eggs and the culture of the team was incredible.”
The 2023 WVU men’s soccer team will be etched in the history books forever and there isn’t any reason to believe the Mountaineers won’t be a consistent contender nationally for years to come.
