The West Virginia University men's soccer team is set to kick off the 2026 season on Thursday against the Charlotte 49ers in North Carolina.
Thursday's match will be the Mountaineers' first season opener away from Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium since 2021 against Robert Morris.
A mixture of excitement and anxiety is brewing inside this year's WVU men's soccer program, especially after a 13-5-3 season that ended in the second round of the NCAA tournament last year.
West Virginia's roster has turned over after last season, losing key players at critical positions, including last year's leading goal scorer Marcus Caldeira.
WVU was ranked No. 1 in the Sun Belt Conference preseason poll and 23rd in the United Soccer Coaches Division I poll.
"Excited to kick things off this week," WVU coach Dan Stratford said. "We've had a pretty productive two and a half weeks of preseason with the group together. We learned some good lessons along the way and had some good performances. Really excited to see how this group continues to evolve, and we're gonna learn a lot pretty quick.
"We have an incredible nonconference schedule this year. A lot of ranked teams and some that plan to be ranked, with Charlotte certainly being one of them."
As of right now, West Virginia will play two ranked teams in its first four games -- No. 14 UNC-Greensboro and No. 12 Akron.
The Mountaineers' Sun Belt schedule also features a ranked foe in in-state rival Marshall, pegged second in the Sun Belt and 17th in the D-I poll.
"We're very aware that we have a number next to our name and Charlotte doesn't," Stratford said. "That'll be something that I'm sure will give extra motivation. We're gonna get off to a good start here hopefully with a really good nonconference schedule."
Stratford and his staff were able to assess where this year's team stood in a few preseason scrimmages against fifth-ranked Georgetown and archrival Pitt.
Those scrimmages were especially valuable for the 15 newcomers that joined this year's Mountaineer squad.
Stratford certainly saw a mixture good and bad during those scrimmages and practices, leading to Thursday's season opener against Charlotte.
"There's been a lot of positives," Stratford said. "The Georgetown trip was insightful and a little humbling as well. We played a very, very good Georgetown team. I have to say deserving of their preseason ranking in the top five. We lost that game and learned a little bit more about the group. They were stress-tested in a way that is necessary when you have a new group.
"We performed very, very well against Pitt. We were clearly the stronger team with respect to what they showed on the day at least. I was really, really pleased."
West Virginia is less than 48 hours away from taking the pitch against Charlotte.
However, according to Stratford, the Mountaineers have an "injury crisis" brewing, a crisis that began with the Georgetown scrimmage.
"We have the long-term injuries of Mark Chust and Thijs Veldhorst," Stratford said. "Sadly, we woke up on Saturday morning after playing Georgetown with 12 injury concerns. When you have a squad of 28, that definitely has an impact on things. I'm happy to say most of the group have got to a place where I think they can offer and contribute against Charlotte.
"But we're definitely dealing with an injury crisis that I've never experienced before in my life, which means other players will need to be ready to step up."
Pablo Pozos returns to Stratford's Mountaineers this season following a 2025 campaign that saw him finish second on the team in goals with 11.
He was three shy of Caldeira's mark in 2025. Caldeira closed last season with seven assists compared to Pozos' three.
Pozos was named the Sun Belt Conference's Preseason Player of the Year.
He was also mentioned as a member of the SBC preseason all-conference team, alongside his teammates Isaac Scheer and Nacho Martinez.
"Marcus was responsible for a number of assists for Pablo last year, especially early on in the season," Stratford said. "That's something we need to be mindful of. The nature of Marcus' playing style drew a lot of attention and allowed Pablo to do what he does best, which is arrive on the ball for the final finish and final action.
"We have every intention of utilizing Pablo in a very similar fashion. Part of where we've evolved as a team, in the wide areas, we're stronger this year and stronger in depth than we were a year ago."
WVU's home opener will come next Monday against St. Bonaventure at 6 p.m. before going back on the road next Friday for a contest against UNC-Greensboro.
The Mountaineers will begin conference play on Thursday, Sept. 17 against Georgia State in Morgantown.
