The No. 4 Marshall University men’s soccer team (4-1-1) will host in-state rival West Virginia University (2-4-1) for their second Sun Belt Conference game on Saturday at 7:15 p.m.

Marshall is coming off their SBC opener against Kentucky, ending in a 1-1 draw.

Freshman standout Matthew Bell has seven goals on the season, the third best in the country. He’s averaging 2.3 shots on goal season, leading the Sun Belt. Bell also leads the Sun Belt with 21 shots.

Sun Belt preseason all-conference selection senior Milo Yosef has four goals on the season, second in the Sun Belt. He also leads the conference in game-winning goals.

Freshman Adam Aoumaich leads the Sun Belt with six assists, first in the Sun Belt and fourth in the country.

Marshall is seventh in the country in goals per game and eighth in the country in assists per game. The Herd leads the Sun Belt in both categories.

Marshall’s men’s soccer head coach Chris Grassie said it’s a massive match for the herd.

“It’s a huge match for us, obviously; you put to the side that it’s WVU and Marshall and look at what it means for the conference. We drew our first game, so we need that first conference game win. The two teams were predicted to be at the top of the conference, so it’s just a huge game,” he said. “You throw in that it’s WVU and Marshall; it’s just a big occasion for us and our fans.”

Grassie added that the game will be intense.

“It’s going to be such an intense battle; it doesn’t matter if we won the last five or lost the last five; it’s a rivalry game.”

WVU is coming off a loss against No. 13 Portland, ending in a final score of 2-1.

WVU is averaging 1.29 goals per game, seventh in the Sun Belt.

WVU’s junior Ryan Crooks is second in the Sun Belt in assists with four. He also has 17 shots on the season, fifth in the conference.

Both Marshall and WVU came into the season top-25.

The last meeting between the two schools happened in September of 2021, which ended in a double-overtime tie.