Men's Soccer | 9/19/2017 1:56:00 PM

WHAT: George Mason men's soccer vs. East Tennessee State
WHEN: 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 20
WHERE: George Mason Stadium, Fairfax, Va.
SERIES RECORD: ETSU leads 1-0
LAST MEETING: ETSU defeated Mason 4-2 on Aug. 31, 2016 in Johnson City, Tenn.
RECORDS: George Mason (3-2-1, 0-0 Atlantic 10); East Tennessee State (3-1-2, 0-0 Southern)
LIVE VIDEO ($): Click Here
LIVE STATS: Click Here

FAIRFAX, Va. – Another formidable and talented foe comes to George Mason Stadium this week.

The George Mason men's soccer team hosts East Tennessee State at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night. The matchup wraps up a three-game homestand for the Patriots, who have played into overtime each of their last three games.

ETSU is Mason's third non-conference opponent this fall that played in the NCAA Tournament in 2016 along with Coastal Carolina and Albany. The Buccaneers are also the fourth non-conference foe for the Patriots this season that won either their respective conference's regular-season or tournament championship last year.

The Buccaneers (3-1-2) won the Southern Conference regular-season title and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning 12 games last year. ETSU is riding a four-game unbeaten streak that features three wins and a tie. The Buccaneers' only loss of the season has come against No. 15 Kentucky.

In their last game out on Saturday, the Buccaneers shut out Liberty 1-0 on the road. Senior Fletcher Ekern leads the team with two goals while junior Jonny Sutherland has a goals against average of 0.90 and two shutouts this season.

Mason and ETSU have met just once before – last year. The Buccaneers picked up a 4-2 victory in Johnson City, Tennessee.

The Patriots (3-2-1) are coming off a tough 3-2 overtime loss to West Virginia on Saturday night at home. Mason led 2-1 after senior captain and defender Alain Sargeant headed in his first career goal in the 79th minute. But the Patriots allowed the Mountaineers to tie the game in the 89th minute to force overtime. West Virginia (4-1-2) won the game just 97 seconds in on a goal off a free kick.

Senior captain Henning Dirks assisted on Sargeant's goal and leads the Atlantic 10 in both assists (five) and points (13). His four goals are tied for the team lead with sophomore Ryan Mingachos.