HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — No. 7-seeded James Madison stunned No. 2-seeded and No. 5-ranked Marshall, 1-0, to pick up its first win over a Top 25-ranked foe this season and first over the Thundering Herd since 1992.
The Dukes used a 44th minute tally from redshirt junior midfielder Clay Obara to claim a 1-0 halftime advantage and held off a Marshall assault in the second half to secure the quarterfinal win in the Sun Belt Men’s Soccer Championship.
The James Madison victory avenged a 2-0 loss to Marshall in the final game of the regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
HOW IT HAPPENED
44’ James Madison redshirt sophomore midfielder Demitri Turner cross the ball along the six-yard box, where it was tapped along on a back heel by freshman forward Cameron Arnold and chipped home by redshirt junior midfielder Clay Obara for his third goal of the season.
FIRST HALF
Marshall struck early, firing what would prove to be its lone shot on goal in the ninth minute. James Madison freshman goalkeeper Sebastian Conlon made a jumping save on a free kick from just outside the box by Thundering Herd junior defender Morris Duggan that was curling toward the top right corner of the net.
Marshall graduate student goalkeeper Oliver Semmle made a pair of saves of his own—the first on a low shot to the short side by Dukes redshirt sophomore midfielder Ethan Taylor in the 19th minute and the second on another low shot by Dukes freshman forward Cameron Arnold in the 38th minute—just after entering the game as a substitute.
Those shots on goal sandwiched a shot off the near post by James Madison redshirt junior midfielder Rodrigo Robles in the 23rd minute.
SECOND HALF
The Thundering Herd sent a shot of their own off the post in the 48th minute on a curling strike by freshman forward Matthew Bell.
James Madison’s strongest scoring chance of the second half came off a corner kick in the 58th minute. After the initial volley was tapped toward the top of the box, Dukes redshirt sophomore midfielder Ethan Taylor ripped a one-timer that was pawed over the top of the net by Semmle.
Marshall continued to press, possessing the ball in the attacking third and creating five legitimate scoring changes over the final 30 minutes.
In the 61st minute, a volley into the box found the foot of Bell, who was able to touch it past a forward-rushing Conlon. Bell sailed the shot over the wide-open goal. Shortly thereafter, Duggan headed the ball wide of the far post off a 67th minute cross from Thundering Herd senior defender Gabriel Alves.
Duggan’s 77th minute line drive free kick from just outside the box sailed just over the crossbar, as did an 83rd minute attempt by Bell on a cross from Marshall junior forward Adam Aoumaich from the goal line.
Aoumaich headed another cross over the net in the 87th minute, which would prove to be the Thundering Herd’s final scoring opportunity in the 1-0 defeat.
WHAT’S NEXT
No. 7-seeded James Madison will take on the winner of No. 6 Old Dominion and No. 3 Georgia State in the Sun Belt Men’s Soccer Championship semifinals at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 9.
The Dukes fell to the Panthers, 3-1 on Sept. 17, but played to a 0-0 draw with the Monarchs on Sept. 25 in this year’s regular-season meetings.