DAYTON — The Wright State men's soccer team will host Cleveland State to close the regular season home slate on Friday, November 1. The game is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff with live stats provided. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to celebrate seven Raiders in the Senior Night ceremony, starting at 6 p.m.
MATCH INFORMATION
Friday, November 1 – 7 p.m. –
Live Stats
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
Cleveland State is currently 5-6-3 on the season, going 2-4-1 in the Horizon League. The Vikings recently took down Purdue Fort Wayne 3-0 on Saturday night, previously falling to Milwaukee 1-0 on Saturday, October 19.
HISTORY VS. CLEVELAND STATE
The Raiders and Cleveland State battled to a 1-1 draw last October in Cleveland, while the Vikings hold a tight, 19-18-3 all-time series lead.
LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders moved to 2-4-1 in the Horizon League after falling to Detroit Mercy 2-0 on Saturday afternoon. Wright State ended the day with seven shots, landing two on target. Leading the Raiders was
Felix Ezekwuka with three shots, putting one on target.
Teun van der Donk added the second WSU shot on goal, his only shot of the day.
Brian Burkett, Edwin Espnial-Elvir, and
Pete Schneider each had one shot on the afternoon.
Alessandro Malterer, now 1-3-1 on the season, logged all 90 minutes of play. Joining him in the complete game were
Jack Jenkins,
Brock Pickett,
Conner Osterholt, and
Cole Werthmuller.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: BROCK PICKETT
Wright State senior midfielder
Brock Pickett was named the Horizon League Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, September 16. Pickett was the first Raider to receive HL weekly honors since the 2021 season. He earned the honor after logging a full 90 minutes of play against HL opponent IU Indianapolis. The Bay Village, Ohio native Played an integral part in allowing only two shots on goal, with four attempts total, from IUI.
BACK-TO-BACK PLAYER OF THE WEEK: COLE WERTHMULLER
Wright State forward
Cole Werthmuller was named the Horizon league Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week on Monday, September 30.
Werthmuller logged 115 minutes over two games, helping lead the Raiders to a 2-0 week to earn the honor. Over the two games, Werthmuller recorded four shots, putting three on target. He started the week, adding the game-winning goal against Butler.
The Medina, Ohio native earned his first weekly honor on September 23. He earned the acknowledgment after logging all 180 minutes of play over two games, preventing shutout losses and leading the team to tie with Eastern Illinois and HL opponent Milwaukee. Over the two games, the senior recorded 15 shots, six on target, for three goals, all scored with headers.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
The Raiders currently rank 14th in the nation for total goals (33), 26th in scoring offense (2.06), and eighth in shot accuracy (.497). With 33 goals and 29 assists, the Raiders rank 18th in the NCAA in total points (95), and 32nd with 5.94 points per game.
Cole Werthuller is sitting 27th in the nation in total goals, scoring nine on the season, ranking 31st in goals per game (.60).
TAKING NOTICE
The United Soccer Coaches released its weekly rankings on Tuesday, October 1, ranking Wright State ninth in the NCAA DI North Region. The recognition came as the Raiders held a 5-3-2 record, previously defeating Purdue Fort Wayne in a 4-0 shutout and Butler, 3-2. The Raiders sat just below fellow Horizon League member Green Bay, who held a 7-3-0 overall record.
RETURNING ALL-LEAGUE TALENT
Wright State returns Horizon League All-Freshman Team honoree
Henry Hutchinson. At the conclusion of his first season, Hutchinson started nine matches and played in 13 of the team's contests. He logged 720 minutes, tallying 25 or more minutes in 10 matches, with seven matches of 60-plus minutes.
MEET THE COACHES
The Raiders are led by second-year head coach
Alex Van der Sluijs. Van der Sluijs joined Wright State as an assistant coach in April 2022, being named head coach just a year later. He put up a 4-9-5 overall record and 3-4-2 league record his first season, leading the program to the Horizon League Tournament quarterfinals. Joining Van der Sluijs on the sidelines is second-year assistant coach
Chris Garcia and third-year assistant coach
Adam Maloney.
MEET THE SQUAD
WSU welcomes many new faces with 18 newcomers – nine freshmen and nine transfers – to this season's 32-player roster. Of the nine transfers, there are three sophomores and six juniors. The Raiders return 14 players with one redshirt freshman, five sophomores, two juniors, five seniors, and one graduate student.
ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE
Wright State welcomes players from across the globe with 15 international student-athletes on the 2024 roster. Ten Raiders hail from Europe, representing six countries across the United Kingdom, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and Western Europe. Additionally, four players represent North American countries, and one athlete comes all the way from Australia.
CURRENT CAREER LEADERS
NEXT UP
The Raiders will close the regular season on Tuesday, November 5 at Northern Kentucky. The 2 p.m. game will have ESPN+ livestreaming and live stats provided.
