MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Dec. 2, 2023) – For the first time in program history, the West Virginia University men’s soccer team has advanced to the NCAA College Cup after defeating Loyola Marymount, 3-1, on Saturday at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
The Mountaineers will play the winner of the Stanford-Clemson quarterfinal matchup on Friday evening at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. Game times are still to be determined.
West Virginia is now 17-2-4, extending its program record for victories in a season while LMU wrapped up their season at 10-5-6.
Loyola Marymount took an early lead before three unanswered goals by seniors Luke McCormick, Sergio Ors Navarro and Yutaro Tsukada propelled the Mountaineers to victory. Juniors Otto Ollikainen and Carlos Hernando, senior Ryan Crooks, and freshman Constantinos Christou picked up assists in the contest.
Senior Jackson Lee made five saves in goal while also collecting his second assist of the season.
Loyola Marymount outshot the Mountaineers, 12-11, while shots on goal were even at six. LMU also had a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The Lions came out attacking, nearly scoring in the first 60 seconds before finding the back of the net in the second minute to take an early lead.
WVU did not panic and scored an equalizing goal in the ninth minute as McCormick received a pass from Ollikainen and had just the goalkeeper to beat, which he did, slotting a left-footed shot into the meshing of the net.
In the 16th minute, the Mountaineers took the lead as Hernando laid the ball off for Lee who sent the ball deep where it bounced to the foot of Ors Navarro. The Spaniard made a move around his defender before firing a shot at the top of the box past the keeper to put WVU out in front.
Tsukada provided some cushion for the Mountaineers in the 67th minute as he buried his seventh goal in the last seven games off passes from Crooks and Christou. The Tokyo native now has 12 goals this season to tie Marcus Caldeira for the team lead.
Lee made the lead stand up as he made a couple of huge saves in the second half, none bigger than in the 76th minute as LMU took a free kick from straight on just outside the box. Tyler Trusner went for goal, but Lee was there to get a hand on it before it went off the crossbar and eventually cleared.
LMU managed just two shots on goal the rest of the way, neither of which were on goal.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The Mountaineers will play the winner of the Stanford-Clemson quarterfinal matchup on Friday evening at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. Game times are still to be determined.
West Virginia is now 17-2-4, extending its program record for victories in a season while LMU wrapped up their season at 10-5-6.
Loyola Marymount took an early lead before three unanswered goals by seniors Luke McCormick, Sergio Ors Navarro and Yutaro Tsukada propelled the Mountaineers to victory. Juniors Otto Ollikainen and Carlos Hernando, senior Ryan Crooks, and freshman Constantinos Christou picked up assists in the contest.
Senior Jackson Lee made five saves in goal while also collecting his second assist of the season.
Loyola Marymount outshot the Mountaineers, 12-11, while shots on goal were even at six. LMU also had a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The Lions came out attacking, nearly scoring in the first 60 seconds before finding the back of the net in the second minute to take an early lead.
WVU did not panic and scored an equalizing goal in the ninth minute as McCormick received a pass from Ollikainen and had just the goalkeeper to beat, which he did, slotting a left-footed shot into the meshing of the net.
In the 16th minute, the Mountaineers took the lead as Hernando laid the ball off for Lee who sent the ball deep where it bounced to the foot of Ors Navarro. The Spaniard made a move around his defender before firing a shot at the top of the box past the keeper to put WVU out in front.
Tsukada provided some cushion for the Mountaineers in the 67th minute as he buried his seventh goal in the last seven games off passes from Crooks and Christou. The Tokyo native now has 12 goals this season to tie Marcus Caldeira for the team lead.
Lee made the lead stand up as he made a couple of huge saves in the second half, none bigger than in the 76th minute as LMU took a free kick from straight on just outside the box. Tyler Trusner went for goal, but Lee was there to get a hand on it before it went off the crossbar and eventually cleared.
LMU managed just two shots on goal the rest of the way, neither of which were on goal.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
