HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — No. 7-seeded James Madison found goal in the 33rd minute to break the ice and added four second-half tallies en route to a 5-0 semifinal victory over No. 3-seeded Georgia State in the Sun Belt Men’s Soccer Championship.
Redshirt junior midfielder Clay Obara—the hero from Sunday’s quarterfinal—added two goals in Wednesday’s semifinal, while redshirt junior midfielder Rodrigo Robles carded three assists in the 5-0 win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
33’ Redshirt junior midfielder Clay Obara led the James Madison counter down the near sideline and fired a rocket on frame that was batted away by Georgia State senior goalkeeper Gunther Rankenburg. On the ensuing attack, freshman midfielder Kevin Larsson powered a shot off the crossbar, which rebounded onto the foot of charging freshman forward Cameron Arnold, who chipped it home for his sixth goal of the season.
50’ Redshirt junior midfielder Rodrigo Robles took the ball away from a Georgia State defender deep in the attacking third. Robles dribbled into the box and dropped the ball off for redshirt junior forward Evan Southern. Southern sent the ball along across the box to Obara, who one-timed it into the netting.
58’ A foul in the box by Georgia State senior midfielder Ross Finnie set up a penalty kick for redshirt senior defender Robert Clegg, which he notched home into the bottom right corner of the net.
63’ Robles set up a waiting Southern in the box, who beautifully curled the ball into the upper 90 on a left-footed one-timer.
77’ Obara slotted a shot home inside the far post for the brace off a feed from Robles.
FIRST HALF
Other than the James Madison 33rd-minute onslaught, each team produced a pair of shots of goal during the first half.
The Dukes struck first with redshirt junior forward Evan Southern heading a cross into the hands of Georgia State senior goalkeeper Gunther Rankenburg in the center of the net.
Panthers graduate student midfielder Iolo Jones sent a bouncing shot from just outside the box directly at James Madison freshman goalkeeper Sebastian Conlon in the 14th minute. Conlon scooped up another shot—a burner from freshman midfielder Justin McLean—at the far post in the 16th minute.
In the 17th minute, Dukes redshirt junior midfielder Clay Obara’s curling one-timer toward the upper 90 was turned away by Rankenburg.
After James Madison broke the ice, the Dukes sent a beautiful service into the box in the 39th minute in search of an insurance goal, but redshirt senior defender Tyler Clegg headed the feed over the net.
SECOND HALF
Coming out of the break, James Madison redshirt junior forward Evan Southern flicked a ball off the post in the 46th minute on a low feed to the six-yard box. He then ran under a lob over the top in the 57th minute and beat Georgia State senior goalkeeper Gunther Rankenburg, but sent a soft short skirting just past the far post.
With James Madison up 3-0, Georgia State had a pair of opportunities off corner kicks. The first curled into the hands of James Madison freshman goalkeeper Sebastian Conlon in the 72nd minute. The second curled out to Iolo Jones at the top of the box, but Jones sent the one-timer sailing over the frame.
WHAT’S NEXT
No. 7-seeded James Madison will take on No. 1-seeded Kentucky in the Sun Belt Men’s Soccer Championship final at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 13, in Lexington.
The Wildcats defeated the Dukes, 3-1 on Oct. 1, in the regular-season meeting. The Dukes have already avenged their other regular-season conference losses to Marshall and Georgia State to advance to the championship match.