Men’s Soccer Falls to No. 5 West Virginia in Sun Belt Semifinal

ORLANDO, Fla. – Coming off a historic win against the number one team in the country, the South Carolina men’s soccer team (6-9-3) was unable to rekindle the magic in the Sun Belt Tournament semifinal Wednesday night (Nov. 8), as the Gamecocks fell to third-seeded and 5th ranked West Virginia (14-1-4) 2-0.

The teams tied in both shots and shots on goal at 9-9 and 3-3, respectively. The Mountaineers held a 5-to-3 advantage in corner kicks.

The Mountaineers went up early, slipping through the defense, and scoring from close range in the 13th minute. They would add to their lead on a penalty kick after a handball was called on South Carolina inside the box.

Carolina had two chances in the first half on a pair of shots on goal by Ethan Dekel Daks. The lone Gamecock shot on goal of the second half came on a header by William Nilsson in the 81st minute that the WVU goalkeeper just stuck his hand out to save.

Nilsson and Kasper Lehm were named to the All-Tournament team for their performances.

The season comes to a close for South Carolina after taking down then-No. 1 UCF Sunday night in the quarterfinals. The Gamecocks also defeated then-24th ranked Kentucky earlier this season, marking the first time since 2000 that Carolina has defeated two ranked opponents on the road in a season. It’s also the first time since 2016 defeating two ranked teams.

For the latest on men’s soccer, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockMSoccer, Facebook /GamecockMSoccer, and Instagram @GamecockMSoccer.