DAYTON – The Wright State Men's Soccer team is set to open the 2024 season with the annual battle for the I-75 cup at Bowling Green on Friday, August 23 at 7 p.m. at Cochrane Stadium in Bowling Green, OH. Raider fans can keep up with the action on the Bowling Green YouTube livestream or through live stats.
MATCH INFORMATION
Friday, August 23 – 7 p.m. ET –
Watch –
Live Stats
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Bowling Green had an overall record of 7-8-3 in 2023, going 4-4-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Falcons were predicted to finish fourth in the 2024 MVC Preseason poll, with two players on the Preseason All-MVC team, senior Alberto Anaya and junior Trace Terry.
HISTORY VS. BOWLING GREEN
The season opener will be the two teams' 24th matchup in a series that dates back to 1982, as the Falcons hold a 12-8-3 all-time record over Wright State. The two last faced each other in September 2023, where the Raiders won 3-0. All three scorers –
Henry Hutchinson,
Felix Ezekwuka, and
Cole Werthmuller – returned for the 2024 season.
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
Wright State will play again on Thursday, August 29 at 5 p.m., hosting Lindenwood for the 2024 home opener.
