MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 6 West Virginia University men's soccer team fell to No. 13 Gardner-Webb, 1-0, Wednesday evening at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. The Mountaineers fall to 2-1-1 on the season while the Runnin' Bulldogs remain perfect at 4-0-0.
 
It is the first loss for the Mountaineers in Morgantown since dropping a match to Yale, 2-1, on Sept. 9, 2022, ending a 32-game home unbeaten streak.
 
Gardner-Webb took the lead in 14^th minute and were able to hold on the rest of the way. Graduate student Marc Bonnaire made four saves to keep WVU close, including a penalty kick save in the first half.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs outshot the Mountaineers, 10-8, including a 5-3 edge in shots on goal. WVU had a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks while GWU committed 16 fouls compared to nine for the Mountaineers in a game that also had 11 cards issued, eight of which were shown to Gardner-Webb.
 
West Virginia had a couple of close looks in the second half, first coming in the 58^th minute as junior Pablo Pozos and Lucas Christensen both slid right in front of the GWU goal line for a ball that was sent in by freshman Thomas Bowe, but in the joust for the ball, it leaked back out away from goal and into the hands of the goalie.
 
The Mountaineers had another couple of chances late in the game, but a header by graduate student Carlos Hernando went just high in the 83^rd minute before a header by junior Thijs Veldhorst off a corner was kept out of the net by Christensen in the 88^th minute.
 
West Virginia will have another chance against a ranked opponent on Sunday, Sept. 7, at No. 22 George Mason. Kickoff from Fairfax, Virginia is set for 4 p.m.
 
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