WVU Edged at No. 4 WMU in MAC Semis

Friday, November 10

Kalamazoo, MI

2:00 p.m.

West Virginia University

9-6-4

Western Michigan

16-2-1

West Virginia

Western Michigan

November 10, 2017 05:39 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: Charlie Healy

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The West Virginia University men's soccer team suffered a 1-0 loss at top-seeded and No. 4-ranked Western Michigan in the Mid-American Conference Championship semifinals on Friday, Nov. 10, at the WMU Soccer Complex.

On a cold afternoon in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the fourth-seeded Mountaineers (9-6-4) held the host Broncos (16-2-1) scoreless until the 75th minute. Freshman goalkeeper Steven Tekesky made a career-high five saves in the loss.

"Congratulations to Western Michigan," WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. "I thought it was an ugly soccer game on both sides, neither team really had very many good opportunities in the game. They had a scramble that led to their goal, where their kid did well to fight us off, and somehow it got in. It's one of those things where we weren't good enough on the day to win the game. I don't think we deserved to lose it in the fashion that we lost it, but that's soccer sometimes. We have to hold our head high and congratulate Western Michigan and wish them luck in the final.

"Now, unfortunately, we leave everything in the NCAA Tournament committee's hands. I think our body of work is pretty good, we haven't lost a bad game this year. But, a win would have put us in a better position. Now we have to sit on our hands and wait."

West Virginia had three shots, all coming on goal. WMU recorded 20 shots, six on goal. WMU keeper Drew Shepherd made three saves.

Sophomores Pascal Derwaritsch and Sebastian Garcia-Herreros and freshman Kevin Morris all recorded shots on goal in the contest for the Mountaineers.

The Bronco goal came at 74:20, when Jay McIntosh scored from inside the 18 on a ball in that deflected to him off a WVU defender.

The Broncos controlled play and had the majority of the chances in the opening 45 minutes, holding a 7-1 advantage in shots and a 3-1 edge in shots on goal. However, each time WMU had an opportunity, the West Virginia defense came up with a block, interception or Tekesky made a play on the ball.

Derwaritsch poked away WMU's first chance in the fourth minute, and Tekesky scooped up the next ball in.

The Mountaineers' first chance came in the 14th minute, when senior Louis Thomas sent a ball into the far corner to Garcia-Herreros, but his ball in was intercepted in the box and cleared.

West Virginia had a pair of chances less than 10 minutes later. The first came on a free kick from sophomore Ryan Kellogg, but it went high over the net. In the 23rd minute, Garcia-Herreros had a breakaway opportunity, but his shot from just inside the far side of the 18 was saved by Shepherd.

Tekesky made a nice grab on a ball in following a corner kick in the 25th minute, and he made another catch in traffic four minutes later. His third save of the game came in the 33rd minute, on a header from the edge of the six on the far side.

The Broncos sent two shots in that sailed high in the 41st minute for their last great opportunities of the opening half.

WMU continued to apply offensive pressure in the second half. Tekesky made a nice save in the 55th minute, and the Mountaineer defensive wall made a block inside the 18 on a free kick from just outside of the box in the 60th minute.

In the 65th minute, West Virginia had several key blocks as the Broncos had four corner kicks in a five-minute span. The home side had a clear shot in the 70th minute, but it went past the far post wide.

Following Western Michigan's goal in the 75th minute, Derwaritsch earned a header from inside the box off a Kellogg free kick, but the shot was saved to keep the Mountaineers off the scoreboard.

After Tekesky made his fifth save in the 81st minute, Morris' header in the 85th minute was saved.

WMU had 13 shots, three on goal in the second half, and West Virginia had two shots, both on goal.

With the defeat, the Mountaineers await the NCAA Tournament selection show, set for Monday, Nov. 13. WVU is looking to earn an at-large bid and make its first NCAA appearance since 2011.

Western Michigan advances to face No. 7 Akron in the championship game on Sunday.

For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.