For a few minutes, it appeared West Virginia’s stay in the Sun Belt tournament would be brief.
Old Dominion, playing with nothing to lose, had taken a one-goal lead on Lewis Rourke’s brace with seven minutes to go. And if the Mountaineers couldn’t find an equalizer, there was a real chance they could fall out of hosting contention for the NCAA tournament, which would have made Sunday their final game in Morgantown.
But with the Mountaineers’ backs to the wall, Pablo Pozos had the answer.
In the 89th minute, Juan Alvarez sent a free kick into the box, which Pozos headed home for the game-tying goal. After two scoreless overtimes, the match proceeded to penalties, where West Virginia emerged victorious by a 5-4 margin, after the match had finished 2-2 on Sunday night in Morgantown.
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The Mountaineers (12-3-3) survive to play Marshall in the Sun Belt semifinals. Old Dominion ended its season at 5-5-8, but the Monarchs came dangerously close to upsetting the apple cart of the league tournament. Sunday proved a tough night for both host schools, as top-seeded Kentucky also only just survived, winning its 0-0 match with No. 8 Coastal Carolina in penalties.
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Although West Virginia drew first blood on a first-half goal from Isaac Scheer, Old Dominion kept up the attack. In the first meeting, the Monarchs barely got anything to the net, which left them scrambling after Felix Ewald found the only goal in the first half.
This time, Old Dominion played like a team with nothing to lose. The Monarchs forced six saves out of Mark Bonnaire, and West Virginia only outshot Old Dominion by 18-15. That rarely happened in Sun Belt play, as teams preferred to be patient and wait the Mountaineers out.
But in a win-or-go home situation, Old Dominion played fearless and forced the West Virginia defense to adjust. Given that the Mountaineers will likely play their first-round NCAA tournament game against a lesser side, this was an important test.
Mountaineers Prove Their Mettle
Having to pull a game out of the fire is never easy, especially against a desperate opponent. Doing it the way the Mountaineers did is even harder.
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West Virginia gave up the second goal a mere seven minutes from time. That’s not much time to put forth a real attack, even for a team that is used to generating a lot of scoring chances. That the Mountaineers were able to stay focused and pull through says a lot for them moving forward.
This was also the last real chance for the Mountaineers to get this lesson. From here on out, it will be tournament-level teams, and after the Sun Belt tournament, the next loss is the last.
Mountaineers Meet Marshall Again
West Virginia continues the Sun Belt tournament against Marshall on Wednesday, representing their second match with the Thundering Herd in two weeks. The first meeting wasn’t close, as West Virginia buried its in-state rival by a 3-0 count.
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This match could help secure a first-round bye for West Virginia. With the Mountaineers sitting No. 15 in the RPI, a second win over the Thundering Herd could be enough to keep West Virginia in the top 16. However, the championship match is a potential land mine, as Kentucky is outside the top 35. If the Mountaineers want to play the second round of the NCAAs at home, winning the Sun Belt is of utmost importance.
