West Virginia’s Sun Belt tournament run ended in the final minute of the second overtime period Wednesday night, as third-seeded Marshall converted a golden-goal penalty to defeat the Mountaineers 3–2
at Dick Dlesk.
After a scoreless first half, the match opened up quickly after the break. Marshall struck first in the 48th minute through Carl Romberg, but the Mountaineers responded almost immediately. Isaac Scheer continued his strong postseason run with a finish into the bottom corner after a setup from Constantinos Christou, leveling the match at 1–1.
Marshall regained the lead in the 56th minute, but the Mountaineers settled again and pushed back. The equalizer came just before the hour mark when Marcus Caldeira turned into space at the top of the box and hammered a shot into the top right corner. At 2–2, the momentum shifted, and WVU began to dictate more of the match.
The Mountaineers generated the better looks down the stretch, forcing Marshall goalkeeper Eddie DeMarco into several difficult saves. Regulation ended with WVU threatening, but the Mountaineers couldn’t find the net as a shot by Caldeira sailed over the goal.
The extra periods brought more of the same: tense stretches with both teams trying to find an opening. WVU controlled the ball in the second overtime, but with under a minute left, a Marshall cross struck Carlos Hernando’s arm as he was fighting to make a play on the ball. The referee awarded a penalty after a quick look at the monitor, and Joao Alves finished it for the golden goal.
WVU outshot Marshall 18–11, finished with nine corners to the Herd’s five, and created more sustained pressure throughout the night. Marc Bonnaire made five saves, while Scheer, Caldeira and Christou drove WVU’s best stretches of play. But the final bounce favored the Herd.
West Virginia ends the season 12-4-3. Their resume should put them in the mix for an NCAA at-large bid, but it isn’t a certainty. Without the automatic qualifier from the Sun Belt, the Mountaineers will have to wait and see where they land when the bracket is announced.
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