Charleston, W. Va- The Golden Eagles Men's Soccer team defeated the Notre Dame College Falcons in the second round semi-final game of the MEC Tournament on Wednesday evening.
 
The Basics
Location: Welch Athletic Complex
Score: UC 1 NDC 0
Records: Charleston 16-1-1 (14-1-1 MEC), NDC 9-5-2 (8-4-2 MEC)
 
How it Happened
The Wednesday night matchup against northern Ohio competitor Notre Dame College created a great atmosphere for the first round of the Men's Soccer Mountain East Conference Tournament.
 
The Golden Eagles and Falcons had a great battle in the first half with both teams having three shots each. Both teams held their own and kept the game scoreless going into the half.
 
Heading into the second half, both teams were eager to get a goal with the Mountain East Conference Championship game in mind. Charleston would look to exploit the increasingly passive defense of Notre Dame.  
 
Charleston returned from halftime with an attacking mindset, but the Falcons held a tight defense with their back line for almost the entire half. Whilst outshooting the Falcons 7 shots to 0, the Golden Eagles were still struggling to find the back of the net and the clock got closer to 0.
 
With just eight minutes remaining in regulation, First Team All-MEC forward Gabriel Rodriquez received a cross from Second Team All-Conference and All Freshman MEC Team midfielder Luis Maestre. Rodriquez was able to slip by a defender and slot home a shot past goalkeeper Pedro Alves. The goal would put the Golden Eagles up 1-0 with just eight minutes remaining in the contest.

The Golden Eagles were able to hold their lead for the remainder of the match to secure a spot in the Mountain East Conference Championship game. Goalkeeper Nicolai Gunderson held on for the first clean sheet of his young career. The Welch Athletic Complex erupted in applaud when the officials blew the final whistle.
 
Gabriel Rodriquez tallied his 10^th goal on the season, and Luis Maestre added his fourth assist for the year. Both members are beginning to peak at a pivotal time as the Golden Eagles keep the NCAA tournament in mind for the upcoming weeks.  
 
Up Next
The Golden Eagles return to action in Elkins, West Virginia against the top-seed Davis & Elkins at 1pm on Sunday afternoon for the Final round of the MEC Tournament.