Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 12 West Virginia University men's soccer team's five-match win streak was snapped with a 3-1 loss to Akron in the Mid-American Conference Semifinals on Friday night at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
 
The Mountaineers (13-6-0) lost for just the second time at home this year, as their win streak, tied for the sixth-longest in the nation, came to an end on a rain-soaked evening in Morgantown. WVU took a 1-0 lead just 11 seconds into the match, but the Zips (9-6-2) answered to tie it 92 seconds later and took the lead in the 43rd minute. West Virginia trailed by two goals for just the third time this year when the visitors added an insurance goal in the 66th minute.
 
WVU's goal was courtesy of junior midfielder Andres Muriel Albino, with assists to sophomore defender Kevin Morris and senior midfielder Joey Piatczyc. The assist for Piatczyc, the 2018 MAC Player of the Year, was the 34th of his career to extend his school-record mark.
 
"I got out-coached today, at the end of the day," WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. "I didn't have my team prepared, and all the fingers of disappointment need to be pointed at me. I have to do a better job in preparing my team, I have to do a better job managing, and I just have to do a better job."
 
With the loss, just their third in the last 14 matches, the Mountaineers await the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, set for Monday, Nov. 12, at 1 p.m. ET, on NCAA.com.
 
WVU was out-shot, 20-6, while Akron had seven shots on goal to West Virginia's four. Sophomore goalkeeper Steven Tekesky made three saves in the loss and the defense cleared another ball off the line, while the Zips' Ben Lundt also made three saves.
 
Sophomore forward Tsubasa Takada led the Mountaineers with three shots, all on goal, and Muriel Albino had two shots.
 
The Mountaineers struck quickly and took a 1-0 lead 11 seconds in. From Piatczyc after the opening kickoff, Morris sent a long ball from beyond midfield up that got past the Akron defense and into the box. Muriel Albino beat the keeper to the ball, and scored past him from just outside the corner of the six.
 
However, the Zips responded just as quickly, with a goal at 1:43 by Carlo Ritaccio. The score came off an Akron corner and was assisted by Abdi Mohamed and Skye Harter.
 
West Virginia's next chance came on a shot high by Muriel Albino in the 18th minute, and Tekeksy made his first save of the match 30 seconds later. Akron followed with six shots in the next four minutes, along with two corners. The Mountaineer defense made three blocks, and another shot was saved by Tekeksy, to keep it a 1-1 match.
 
Takada had a shot saved minutes later, before Akron had several more chances. One went off the crossbar, another was saved, and two were blocked.
 
In the final minutes of the half, at 42:09, Akron took a 2-1 lead. The ball was headed in by Ezana Kahsay on a ball into the box by Colin Biros.
 
Akron held a 16-3 advantage in shots in the opening half, with five shots on goal. In the final 45 minutes, the Zips had four shots to WVU's three.
 
Junior defender Ryan Kellogg opened the second half with a shot wide in the 57th minute, and Piatczyc cleared a ball off the line two minutes later to keep the Mountaineer deficit at 2-1.
 
Seven minutes later, Ritaccio scored his second of the match to make it 3-1. With assists to Marcel Zajac and Marco Milanese, he scored from the far post.
 
Takada got a shot off in the 81st minute that was saved, and a header of his was saved in the 88th, but those were the only two chances for either team the rest of the match.
 
Akron advances to the MAC Championship against Western Michigan, on Sunday, at 1 p.m. ET, at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.