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ERIE, Pa. - The University of Charleston and West Virginia Wesleyan square off for the third time this season in the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament with the Atlantic Region title on the line at 1:00 pm on Sunday, November 14 at Mercyhurst Field.
Live stats and video will be available to follow all the action here at www.ucgoldeneagles.com
The two teams met just over a week ago in the West Virginia Conference championship game with the Golden Eagles prevailing with a 1-0 victory. The game guarantees that the WVIAC will be represented in the NCAA Elite Eight for the second year in a row as last season Charleston advanced to the round of eight only to fall 4-1 to Lewis (Ill.).
How Charleston got there:
West Virginia Conference Player of the Year Rob Vincent lifted the University of Charleston men’s soccer team to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Final as he scored in the 99th minute to seal a 1-0 win over PSAC Champion Shippensburg, Friday morning.
Charleston (16-3-1) dominated possession for much of the contest as they held a 28-13 shot advantage, but just couldn’t find the back of the net as seven shots were between the posts. Red Raiders (14-6-1)goalkeeper Clay Sale recorded seven saves in the contest to keep his team within striking distance and force an extra period as regulation expired with a 0-0 tie.
All-Conference forward Dion Peters was double-teamed for much of the contest as that seemed to be Shippensburg plan to hold the offensive prowess of UC at bay, yet Peters still managed five shots to lead all players on the day.
Going into the extra frame the Charleston offense had the momentum after attacking almost continuously for the final five minutes of regulation. The break for the Golden Eagles came when a Red Raider foul allowed Vincent to line up for a free kick from 25-yards out. Vincent made the most of the attempt by moving quickly after the referee allowed the ball into play. He nailed a hard shot just around the right side of the Shippensburg defensive wall that slipped under the diving grasp of Sale into the bottom right corner of the goal.
How WV Wesleyan got there:
With the help of Kurt Donaldson (pictured), the Bobcats beat host Mercyhurst 1-0 on Friday to set-up at WVIAC Championship rematch against Charleston on Sunday.
Donaldson provided the game winner at the 53:45 mark in the second half off a free kick by Matthew Brown. The goal would hold up as both teams clamped down defensively to leave the score at 1-0 when the clock hit zero.
Wesleyan was outshot on the day by a 19-6 margin, including 5-2 on goal. However, all it took was one touch by Donaldson to offset the statistics.
Ryan McDougall earned yet another shut out win, his 12th on the year. This one did not come easy though as McDougall was forced to make five saves.
Offensively, Daniel Smee had a team high two shots while Donaldson and Vladimir Ravlic held the team lead in shots on goal with one.
Last time the teams met:
Dion Peters' 47th minute goal lifted Charleston (15-3-1) a 1-0 victory over West Virgina Wesleyan (14-5-2) for the Golden Eagles' second consecutive WVIAC Men's Soccer Tournament title. Eddie Mangan found a hole in the Bobcat defense and Peters powered the ball on a one-touch goal that proved to be all the Golden Eagles would need to secure the championship.
UC goalkeeper Sean Teepen made four saves to record the shutout, yet none more important than a diving save to the upper-right corner of the goal with just three minutes remaining on a scorching shot from the Bobcat’s Michael Scruggs. The shutout is the eighth this season for Teepen and his third in a row.
The Golden Eagles held a 16-10 advantage in shots as they avenged a 1-0 regular setback to Wesleyan from the regular season. The conference’s leading goalkeeper Ryan McDougall turned away seven shots in goal for WV Wesleyan.
Charleston Scouting Report:
Charleston (16-3-1) marked their second consecutive WVIAC conference championship title on Nov.6, 2010. The Golden Eagles have won the WVIAC Championship four times in the past 11 years, with titles coming in 2010, 2009, 2004, and 1999. The Golden Eagles have three players that have equal to or more than six goals and three assists. Dion Peters leads Charleston with 12 goals and 28 total points thus far this season. Peters also adds four helpers and three game winners. Rob Vincent contributes a well rounded eight goals and eight assists on his way to totaling 24 points. Vincent also has four game winners, making him a threat anytime he is near the net.
The Golden Eagles ran through their conference holding an 8-1 record, their only loss in the conference came at home against West Virginia Wesleyan, 1-0. Charleston’s road record is very impressive as they have only dropped one game while playing at their opponent’s field. Ohio Dominican handed Charleston their only road loss in OT.
Charleston’s defense has been an integral part of why the team has experienced so much success this season as they are only allowing on average .79 goals per game. The defense for the Golden Eagles has only allowed 87 on shot targets with their goal keepers saving 72 of them. Sean Teepen has been stellar in between the post for Charleston and has recorded seven shutout wins for the Golden Eagles. Teepen carries in a 15-3-1 record into postseason play.
Scouting WV Wesleyan:
West Virginia Wesleyan is the third seeded team in the Atlantic region. The Bobcats played for the WVIAC championship against Charleston, where they fell 1-0. The Bobcats have won eight WVIAC championships in the past 15 years but Charleston proved to be too much as they netted the game winner in the early part of the second period of action.
West Virginia Wesleyan holds a 15-5-2 record thus far this season heading into tournament play this Friday. The Bobcats embrace a perfect 9-0 record at home but struggle on the road, as they have gone 3-5-1. The team has multiple scorers on the team; three players are tied for the lead on the team with five goals each. Michael Scruggs, Diego Michelato, and Matthew Brown are responsible for most of the Bobcat offense, together they total 15 goals. Brown leads the trio and team with six helpers, also Brown leads the team in total points with 16.
The defense for the Bobcats has played stellar only allowing more than two goals against them in one occasion. Gannon put four goals in the back of the net en route to a 4-1 loss for the Bobcats. Ryan McDougall goal keeper for the Bobcats has registered 11 shutout wins this season and posting a 81.4% save percentage, good for 28th in the nation. McDougall has saved 70 shots and only allowed 16 goals to sneak past him headed into the NCAA Tournament.
