There were a lot of great matchups, upsets, and individual performances from the men’s college soccer opening weekend. Virginia Tech especially impressed with their two clean sheets and their win against top 10 Ohio State. Fumiya Shiraishi scored four goals against Seattle on opening night, giving us more than enough to give him the award even without a second game played. Mikkel Madsen is a freshman who particularly stood out this weekend and is one to keep an eye on.
Team of the Week
Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech showed an ability to grind out a result against Ohio State, earning all three points and a clean sheet. On Sunday, they put up a dominant performance against Canisiu, where they had 32 shots. While the overall scoring numbers aren’t as impressive as some other programs through opening week, their result against Ohio State was one of the biggest upsets from week one and should put the division on notice.
They play Marshall on Friday, which now becomes one of the top matches to watch in week two.
Player of the Week
Fumiya Shiraishi – Senior – Forward – Missouri State
Shiraishi put up a career performance opening night against Seattle, where he put up six shots and converted four into goals. He is just one goal away from his career high, and that opening night performance sets up for a great game two tonight against #22-ranked UMKC.
Freshman of the Week
Mikkel Madsen – Defender – Dayton
Madsen helped Dayton keep two clean sheets through the first week of 2025, playing every minute in both games. Which, under normal circumstances, would have been enough to be considered a freshman of the week. But he topped that by setting up a goal with a long over-the-top pass, and then smashed a free kick into the top corner for a goal. Madsen was used to take corner kicks as well, showing how good he is with his left foot.
