Tuesday's Scoreboard
West Virginia 2, Cincinnati 1
Bowling Green 1, Cleveland State 0
SIUE 2, Butler 1
Stories Courtesy of MAC Sports Information
West Virginia 2, Cincinnati 1
Box Score
CINCINNATI, Ohio – Junior defender Kevin Morris scored the game-winning goal in the 96th minute to send the No. 20-ranked West Virginia University men's soccer team home with a 2-1, overtime win over Cincinnati on Tuesday night at Gettler Stadium.
The Mt. Airy, Maryland, native got his head on a pass sent in by freshman midfielder Luke McCormick to finish off the come-from-behind Mountaineer victory.
The Mountaineers finished with 15 shots on the night, including 12 after halftime.
"Kevin has been champing at the bit to get his head on one in the penalty area, and he's been close a couple of times already this year," WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. "He leaped over the goalkeeper and won a fantastic header. It's nice to see him finally get the goal and hopefully it'll open up more for him."
WVU (4-1-1) conceded an early goal when Cincinnati (1-5) struck first on a goal headed in from the far post in the 19th minute on a play that was set up by a long throw in. From there, junior goalkeeper Steven Tekesky stepped up to make multiple key saves to keep the deficit at one before the half.
The Mountaineers tallied three shots in the opening 45 minutes but couldn't create a chance to level the score.
In the second half, though, WVU's offensive attack came alive. First, senior midfielder Andres Muriel Albino registered the equalizer in the 49th minute when he fired a shot past the shoulder of the Bearcats' keeper off an indirect free kick. The goal was the Sevilla, Spain, native's team-leading third of the year.
From there, WVU's pace continued to develop, creating several opportunities to push ahead. In the 79th minute, junior midfielder Tsubasa Takada recorded a shot on goal, but it was pushed away.
After Tekesky made the last of his four saves on the night in the 86th minute, McCormick sent a shot wide in the 89th to send the match into overtime.
WVU earned three corner kicks in the overtime period, including one that nearly ended the match. A loose ball inside the box in the 94th minute was cleared away before Morris won it with his header two minutes later. The tally was his second career game-winner.
"The turnaround, the change, the tempo in the second half was at another level of expectation for this team," LeBlanc said. "We went forward with numbers, we defended better as a pack, we did a much better job in terms of execution our game plan and finding a way to get a result."
Tuesday's win marked the Mountaineers' first overtime victory since a 4-3 win over Northern Illinois on Oct. 3, 2018. It also pushed WVU's all-time record against the Bearcats to 7-0.
WVU held a 15-11 advantage in shots, including a 6-5 edge in shots on goal. UC earned six corner kicks to West Virginia's four.
Next up, the Mountaineers return home to take on Dayton on Saturday, Sept. 21. Kickoff at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
Bowling Green 1, Cleveland State 0
Box Score
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Senior Chris Brennan's goal in the 18th minute proved to be the winner as the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team beat Cleveland State University, 1-0, on Tuesday night (Sept. 17) inside Cochrane Stadium.
The Falcons move to 4-1-1 on the season. Brennan's goal was assisted by sophomore Matt Walters. Walters ran up the right side of the field and crossed it in to Brennan who fired a one-time shot at point-blank distance past CSU goalkeeper Omeed Naeemy for the only goal of the match.
BGSU senior Anthony Mwembia needed to make just two saves on the night en route to recording his fourth clean sheet of the young season.
Bowling Green outshot Cleveland State by a 14-7 count, and the Falcons had a slim 3-2 edge in shots on goal.
SIUE 2, Butler 1
Box Score
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Jorge Gonzalez's 109th minute strike capped off an impressive second-half display and lifted SIUE men's soccer to a 2-1 victory over Butler Tuesday at Korte Stadium.
The Cougars, playing their second double overtime game in four days, improved to 2-2-1 while Butler dropped to 3-2.
"I was extremely proud of the effort, not only the physical effort but the decision making," SIUE Head Coach Cale Wassermann said. "I am so proud of the group for coming together, buying in, believing in each other and bouncing back today."
Gonzalez got free behind the Butler defense after a long pass from Jaime Izquierdo Roiz and a head flick from Vincent Jackson II. Gonzalez slid it home from the right side of the penalty area.
Butler's Griffin DeBolt opened the scoring off a Bulldog corner kick in the eighth minute. Butler carried the 1-0 lead into halftime.
SIUE took an 8-2 advantage in total shots into the locker room, but turned the pressure up in the second half, outpacing the Bulldogs 11-4 in total shots, including five on goal.
SIUE struck in the 60th minute when a Corban McAvinew cross made it's way to Jorgen Pettersen, who banged it home at the near post for his second of the year.
"We got a little sharper on the ball and a little more hungry to press," Wassermann said of the second half. "Once we gained some territory, Butler had to take their foot off the gas and play a little more conservative."
The Cougars did not concede a shot in the two overtime periods, while taking three of their own. Gonzalez's goal came on the only shot in the second overtime period. In total, the Cougars outshot Butler 22-6 and put nine shots on frame. Gonzalez led the way with six shots and three on goal. Jack Edwardsand Jackson each had three shots.
Butler goalkeeper Gabriel Gjergi made nine saves.
"Every guy who played, every guy on the bench and every guy who came in as a sub believed that they could help affect the game and they did," Wassermann said.
The Cougars will have a short turnaround time again, taking to the road to face Oral Roberts Saturday in Tulsa.
"We don't have a lot of time in college soccer to celebrate," Wassermann added. "I hope the guys take tonight and enjoy it. We're back in the morning watching film and starting to prepare for Oral Roberts."
