Mountaineers Cap Regular Season with OT Win

Saturday, November 3

DeKalb, IL

8:00 p.m.

West Virginia University

13-5 (5-0MAC)

Northern Illinois

8-8-1 (1-4MAC)

OT 1

West Virginia

Northern Illinois

Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks

November 03, 2018 11:21 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score Season Stats

By: Charlie Healy

DEKALB, Ill. (November 3, 2018) – The No. 16 West Virginia University men's soccer team extended its win streak to five consecutive matches with a 4-3, overtime win at Northern Illinois on Saturday night to complete a perfect season in Mid-American Conference play.

On a rainy, chilly evening at the NIU Soccer Complex in DeKalb, Illinois, the Mountaineers (13-5-0, 5-0-0 MAC) secured their 13th win of the year, the most since a 14-win campaign in 2007. As senior midfielder Joey Piatczyc set another program record, WVU became the second team in the last six seasons to post a perfect record in MAC play.

Saturday night against the Huskies (8-8-1, 1-4-0 MAC), WVU took a 1-0 lead in the first half and extended it to 2-0 minutes into the second half. However, NIU rallied with a pair of goals in 50 seconds to tie the contest at 2-2, in the 56th minute. The Mountaineers wasted no time taking back the lead, with a goal 31 seconds later to regain a 3-2 advantage. After Northern Illinois tied it again in the 74th minute, junior defender Pascal Derwaritsch won it in the 97th minute.

"This was not our best performance of the year," WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. "We had to fight the elements, we had to fight being the road team, as evidence by the number of fouls called against us today. We had to fight ourselves and letting NIU back into the game over and over again tonight. But, at the end of the day, it's another win on the road for us, it's another victory for us, and we're looking forward to moving on to the MAC Championship semifinals, next weekend at home."

Junior midfielder Andres Muriel Albino scored WVU's first goal, his third in the last two matches and team-leading fifth in MAC play, and Piatczyc tallied the Mountaineers' second goal, his team-best seventh of the year. Sophomore defender Kevin Morris was credited with West Virginia's third goal, before Derwaritsch's game-winner.

Along with his goal, Piatczyc assisted on West Virginia's final two goals to break the school record for multi-assist matches, with five. He also extended his school-record career assist total to 33, while he now has 12 game-winning assists, which ranks No. 2 all-time, and 21 game-winning points, sixth-most in a career in WVU history.

West Virginia had 11 shots, six on goal, while NIU had 19 shots, eight on goal. The Mountaineers had 16 fouls to Northern Illinois' 15. In goal, sophomore Steven Tekesky made four saves, while the WVU defense cleared another ball off the line, in overtime.

The Mountaineers took a 1-0 lead at 27:25. Off a turnover near the corner of the box, Muriel Albino found the back of the net from the far side. Junior defenders Albert Andres-Llop and Logan Lucas earned assists on the play.

WVU extended its lead to 2-0 early in the second half, at 46:47, off the foot of Piatczyc. He scored on a pass in by junior defender Ryan Kellogg from the right side, beating the keeper one-on-one to the inside post.

Eight minutes later, at 54:19, NIU made it 2-1, on a header by Anthony Markanich. The Huskies then tied it up at 2-2 50 seconds later, on a goal by Jan Maertins.

West Virginia wasted no time with an answer though to regain a 3-2 lead on a goal 31 seconds later, at 55:40. The header by Morris inside the six came off a beautifully-placed free kick from Piatczyc, 40 yards out.

NIU tied the match at three-all at 73:10, as Maertins scored on a header off a corner kick for his second goal of the night.

Both teams had several chances in the final minutes of the second half, and Tekesky made a nice save and another ball was cleared off the line by Morris, but neither team could win it in regulation.

In overtime, Derwaritsch found the game-winning goal at 96:01. His header from inside the six came off another great free kick in by Piatczyc.

NIU opened the match with three corner kicks and a blocked header in the opening 10 minutes, and WVU followed with a chance by Lucas from inside the six that was saved. Following Muriel Albino's goal, Lucas had a header off a corner kick that went wide.

Four goals in a 10-minute span opened the second half, and Tekesky made a great save in the 79th minute and Morris cleared one off the line in the final seconds.

In overtime, Tekesky saved NIU's lone chance, and Piatczyc sent a shot wide before setting up the winner by Derwaritsch.

As the No. 1 seed, West Virginia will host the Mid-American Conference Championship at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. Semifinals will be held on Friday, Nov. 9, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. ET, and 5:30 p.m., while the championship match will be on Sunday, Nov. 11, at 1 p.m. The Mountaineers will play in Friday's second semifinal, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for the semifinals and championship are on sale now, at WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800 WVU GAME, or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum. Tickets also will be sold on match day at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. One ticket will be good for both semifinal matches on Nov. 9.

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