Charleston, W.Va.- The University of Charleston Men's Soccer Program welcomed West Liberty to the WAC this past Wednesday for a Mountain East Conference matchup.
The Basics:
Location: Welch Athletic Complex
Score: UC 1, WLU 0
Records: Charleston 7-1-0 (5-0-0 MEC) West Liberty 4-3-0 (2-3-0 MEC)
How it Happened:
Due to inclement weather conditions, kick off was delayed and the game eventually got underway at 9:30pm, with a torrential downpour welcoming the players to the field. The Golden Eagles looked to dominate the ball early on but were unable to create any real clear-cut opportunities, and the Hilltoppers were willing to soak up pressure and hit the home side on the counter. The first shot on target fell to West Liberty, but Curro Rodriguez denied the forward in his first start of the season. Charleston's first real sight of goal came from the head of Pedro Arbizu in the 40th minute, but he couldn't keep his header down. The two teams went into the break level, with West Liberty having the better of the few chances in the first half.
Into the second half and Charleston came out of the blocks in a lot more controlled and dominant manner, working the Hilltoppers goalkeeper far more in the second 45. A deflected Eduardo Rodrigues effort led to a corner minutes into the second half, and the Golden Eagles began to find their groove from there. A Tomas Petrungaro volley was saved excellently as the ball seemed to be heading into the top corner, Samuel Marquez couldn't find the target from a cut back, and a Jose Suarez Monaco header was tipped over. In the final ten minutes, it was Allan Logrillo that was this time thwarted by the Hilltoppers keeper on the volley, and then Imtie Kamaldien's snatch shot was no problem to deal with. Eventually, in the 89th minute, Charleston got their reward. Suarez Monaco took a quick free kick just inside the Hilltopper half, releasing Tobias Jervelund on the dribble. He found Suarez Monaco again just inside the area, and a set pass let Tomas Petrungaro roll the ball past the helpless West Liberty keeper into the corner of the net, sending the Golden Eagles into ecstasy. The home side saw out the final minute of the game to pick up another three points in the conference and add another clean sheet to their record.
Up Next:
Up next for the Golden Eagles is a match up with Franklin Pierce. The game will be played at Lock Haven University this Sunday, and kick off is scheduled for 11:00am.
