By: Connor Brown, FM88 Sports
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The 15th ranked Marshall men’s soccer team returns to Hoops Family Field on Sunday night looking to turn its recent comeback momentum into its second win of the 2026 season when the Thundering Herd hosts the VCU Rams.
Pregame coverage will begin at 7 p.m., with first touch set for 7:15 p.m., the match is available on WMUL-FM 88.1, where FM88 Sports Connor Brown and Max Chaffin will be on the call.
Marshall enters the matchup 1-0-2 after rallying from a three-goal deficit to earn a 3-3 draw at George Mason on Tuesday. VCU comes into Huntington 0-2-2 on the season, after scoring in the 89th minute to draw against the 14th ranked High Point Panthers, 1-1, on Wednesday.
For Marshall, Tuesday’s comeback was just another example of a team that has shown an ability to create chances but is still working to find its consistency in the young season.
The Herd trailed George Mason 3-0 before scoring an astonishing three times in the final 23 minutes of the match. Nikita Pakhomov opened the comeback in the 69th minute, Joshua Nugent pulled Marshall within one in the 81st, and Thiago Apolinario completed the comeback with just over four minutes remaining.
Apolinario now leads Marshall with two goals through three matches, while Pakhomov and Nugent have each scored once. Goncalo Machado and Adam N’Goran have also found the net for the Herd this season. Marshall has scored six goals on 38 shots through three matches.
Head coach Chris Grassie knows there is still another level his team can reach.
“This season will be decided on whether or not we can figure ourselves out,” Grassie said following the draw at George Mason. “At our best, we are absolutely unplayable. At our worst. We are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde right now. If we can just toughen up and work harder to get on the front foot, we can win every match we play.”
Grassie added that the Herd needs to “toughen up and work harder to get on the front foot” as it continues to develop early in the season.
Marshall’s attack will face a VCU defense that has already been tested by some of the nation’s best teams.
The Rams opened the season with a 4-1 loss at UNC Greensboro, followed by a scoreless draw at Wake Forest. VCU then dropped a 1-0 decision at North Carolina before earning its latest result at High Point.
Despite entering Sunday without a win, VCU has played four consecutive road matches against strong competition.
The Rams’ latest result came courtesy of forward Kimarly Scott, who headed home the tying goal in the 89th minute against High Point. It was Scott’s first goal of the season. Mohammed Ibrahim assisted on the play.
VCU has scored only two goals through its first four matches, but goalkeeper Manuel Monteiro has kept the Rams competitive and in matches. Monteiro has started all four matches and has recorded 13 saves this season. As a team, VCU has taken 23 shots while allowing 54.
The Rams have also spent the opening weeks of the season learning how to compete against nationally ranked opponents.
Following the loss at North Carolina, VCU head coach Dave Giffard said his team was making progress despite the result.
“Right now, we lack cutting edge and coordination into the final third,” Giffard said after the North Carolina match. “All the teams we will play in the non-conference portion of the schedule will likely be NCAA tournament teams.”
Giffard added that while VCU is still working through problems, the experience against highly ranked teams could help the Rams later in the season.
That growth was on display against High Point. After the Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the 85th minute, VCU answered four minutes later when Scott found the back of the net.
Giffard called the result another step forward for his team.
“I thought tonight was more steps forward,” Giffard said. “We rallied from down a goal, found a few good entries into the box and got a point on the road in another step forward in a long season.”
Now the Rams face another ranked opponent in the Marshall Thundering Herd.
The Herd, however, is returning home to Hoops Family Field for the first time since opening the season with a 2-1 victory over Fairfield on Aug. 20. Marshall has remained unbeaten through its first three matches and has already shown it can respond when facing adversity.
Sunday’s matchup could come down to whether Marshall’s attacking pressure can break through a VCU defense that has spent the first month of the season facing elite competition.
For Marshall, it is another opportunity to build on that comeback against George Mason and another chance to show which version of the Herd will make its way onto the pitch.