Concord Fends Off Davis & Elkins, 6-4, Advances to MEC Championship Game

ATHENS, W.Va.  – In the highest scoring game in the history of the Mountain East Conference Men's Soccer Tournament, the Concord University men's soccer team outlasted Davis & Elkins 6-4 Wednesday night in the semifinal round at Callaghan Stadium.

With the win, the Mountain Lions (15-2-2) advance to their first-ever MEC Championship Game where they will face Charleston 4:00 p.m. Sunday at the Welch Athletic Complex on the University of Charleston's campus.

CU needed just 33 seconds to strike first as a giveaway deep into the Davis & Elkins (10-6-3) defensive third turned into the 10^th goal of the season for junior midfielder Malher Santi Possu. In the 13^th minute, the Concord lead doubled when sophomore forward Ignacio Alvarez Maina carried the ball down along the goal line and found senior forward Fabian Amhof for his seventh goal of the fall.

And the Concord lead swelled to 3-0 in the 26^th minute as sophomore forward Syrus Conolly hit the back of the net for the first of his two goals on an assist by junior forward Richard Henry.

Davis & Elkins sliced the lead to 3-1in the 31^st minute to climb back into the game.

Even though Concord led 3-1 at halftime, Davis & Elkins controlled the first 45 minutes with 55 percent possession and doubled up CU in shots (10-5). Out of the intermission—just like the first half—Concord started fast with a goal by Conolly 58 seconds into the second half. Alvarez ballooned the advantaged to 5-1 after a 52^nd-minute goal.

D&E had an answer, though, with a goal in the 63^rd minute that deflected off the right post and across the goal line. And the Senators scored 20 seconds apart in the 75^th minute that included a penalty kick.

However, Amhof (goal) and Henry (assist) teamed up to push the lead back to two, 6-4, in the 80^th minute.

The previous highest-scoring game in the history of the MEC Tournament was last year's championship game between Charleston and Davis & Elkins that featured seven goals.

In the fast-paced game, both teams cranked off 22 shots. Alvarez tallied five shots while Conolly and Henry both had four.

Conolly's two-goal game was his third in the last four games as he now sits at 12 goals for the season. Amhof's brace was his third of the season, all since October 23. Henry tied the single-game program record with three assists.