Championship Central | Box Score: Match 5
 
BOONE, N.C. – Second-seeded Coastal Carolina captured the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Championship title in dramatic fashion, winning 6-5 in penalty kicks over No. 5 Georgia State, to take home its third conference tournament crown in four years.
 
Coastal Carolina now awaits its postseason fate with the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship Selection Show set for Monday, Nov. 18 at Noon CT/1 p.m. ET on NCAA.com. The Chanticleers will be making their third NCAA Tournament appearance as a member of the Sun Belt and 16th in school history.
 
Match 5 - No. 2 Coastal Carolina 1, No. 5 Georgia State 1 (Final/2OT),
Coastal Carolina Wins 6-5 on Penalty Kicks
Meeting in the Sun Belt Men's Soccer Championship title match for the third time in four years, the familiar foes battled without a goal through the first 86 minutes of the match.
 
Georgia State broke the scoreless tie in the 87th minute when sophomore midfielder buried a strike from 30 yards out to give the Panthers the lead. Just over two minutes later in the 89th minute, Coastal Carolina answered when freshman forward Sam Snaith finished off a corner from senior defender Morten Timm. The Chanticleers' equalizer sent the match into the championship match into overtime for the first time since 1992.
 
The momentum swung back and forth in the two 10-minute overtime sessions but neither team was able to produce a score. The match then moved to penalty kicks with the conference's NCAA Tournament automatic bid on the line.
 
Georgia State led off with a successful attempt and then each team missed before Coastal Carolina evened things up again to close the second round. Both teams made their attempts over the next four rounds. In the seventh round, a Panthers miss opened the door for the Chanticleers. Sophomore defender Paavo Riihjarvi stepped up and hit the back of the net to send Coastal Carolina back to the postseason.
 
This marked the first time the Sun Belt Men's Soccer Championship final was decided by penalty kicks since 1992 when Western Kentucky won in penalty kicks over South Alabama. It marked the first time a conference tournament match was decided in penalty kicks since Georgia Southern won 5-4 in penalty kicks over Appalachian State in a 2017 quarterfinal match.
 
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2019 Sun Belt Men's Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team
Alex McGrath, Appalachian State
Mason Robicheaux, Appalachian State
Ole Kjoerholt, Central Arkansas
Nate Lancaster, Central Arkansas
Freddie Read, Georgia State
Alex Summerfield, Georgia State
Paul Tyson, Georgia State
Jeranimo Power, Coastal Carolina
Kasper Skraep, Coastal Carolina
Sam Snaith, Coastal Carolina
Most Outstanding Player – Alberto Ciroi, Coastal Carolina
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Monday, November 18
NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship Selection Show (NCAA.com), Noon CT/1 p.m. ET