WEEKLY NOTES
NEW ORLEANS - For a second consecutive season West Virginia and Marshall are set to meet in the Sun Belt Men's Soccer Championship.
No. 10-ranked and top-seeded West Virginia (12-1-6) holds the all-time record over the eighth-ranked and second-seeded Marshall (11-1-6) at 17-8-2. Marshall’s last win over West Virginia was Nov. 11, 2023 in the Sun Belt Championship, while West Virginia’s last was during the regular season on Oct. 18, 2023.
Last year Marshall took the crown as the number one seed in the tournament and won the regular season title. This year West Virginia won the regular season with 19 points and a 5-0-4 record in league play and entered the tournament as the top-seed.
The two teams last met in the final game of the regular season in a match that resulted in a 0-0 tie in Huntington. This will be the first time West Virginia hosts Marshall in the post season since joining the Sun Belt.
West Virginia reached the title match by defeating No. 8-seeded Georgia Southern 3-2 in the quarterfinals. After overcoming a 0-2 deficit, the Mountaineers stormed back thanks to a converted penalty before the half by Marcus Caldeira to cut the margin to 2-1. Sergio Ors Navarro and Carlos Hernando would find the net in the second half to give the Mountaineers the 3-2 victory. The Mountaineer defense would shut out the Eagles in the second half, holding them to a single shot on goal.
In the semifinals, the Mountaineers again came from behind to secure the win. No. 4-seeded Kentucky’s All-Sun Belt forward Logan Dorsey scored less than three minutes into the match, but West Virginia’s Ors Navarro would quickly answer with the equalizer. After the half, Hernando would find the back of the net for the Mountaineers eventual game winner in the 2-1 victory.
Both Ors Navarro and Hernando have a pair of goals through tournament play, with Frederik Jorgensen leading the team with three assists through the first two rounds.
Marshall’s path to the championship started with a match against No. 7-seeded Old Dominion. Old Dominion carried a 1-0 lead into the break, but the momentum turned late in the second half, when Marshall was awarded a penalty kick following a handball in the box in the 75th minute. Just three minutes later, sophomore forward Joao Roberto collected his own rebound off the crossbar and slotted it home. Marshall added an insurance goal off the foot of Rai Pinto, leading to the 3-2 victory.
Marshall rode a first-half marker to a 1-0 victory over No. 6-seeded James Madison in the semifinals. The match wasn’t without its drama as Marshall’s Pinto was shown a straight red card in the 60th minute after taking down a charging Dukes redshirt senior forward Evan Southern just outside the 18-yard box, forcing the Thundering Herd to play a man down for the final 30 minutes.
In a rematch of the regular season finale and the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Championship game, what is known as the Mountain State Derby, is set to decide the 2024 SBC Tournament Champion.