No. 4 West Virginia men’s soccer advanced to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament semifinals, after defeating No. 5 Coastal Carolina 1-0 on Sunday.
The Mountaineers used a strong performance from goalkeeper Jackson Lee, and a 70th minute goal from Marcus Caldeira was the difference.
The goal from Caldeira was his fifth of the season, tying him for the team lead in goals.
West Virginia out-shot Coastal Carolina 10-7, but the Chanticleers led the Mountaineers in shots on goal 3-2.
Lee would end up making three saves on the afternoon, none bigger than in the 84th minute. Coastal Carolina’s Maurice Hauser had a look to tie the game, but a diving stop by Lee would keep Coastal Carolina scoreless.
The Mountaineer defense would ultimately prevail over the final five minutes, pushing West Virginia to the semifinals.
West Virginia had chances, especially in the second half with seven shots. The Mountaineers also had three corner kicks in the final 45 minutes.
The Mountaineers will now wait to see the winner of No. 8 South Carolina against No. 1 Kentucky, to determine who their opponent will be on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+ in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Soccer Tournament.
Photo by Aaron Parker, Blue Gold Sports
