Concord Upends Nationally-Ranked Charleston, 3-2

ATHENS, W.Va. – For the first time in program history, the Concord University men's soccer team took down a nationally-ranked team as it defeated second-rated Charleston, 3-2, Wednesday night in a Mountain East Conference game at Callaghan Stadium.

Concord (14-2-2, 11-1-2 MEC) pounced on Charleston (16-1-1, 13-1) early with two goals in the opening nine minutes.

On CU's first corner kick of the game, junior defenders Julian Correa, Kai Forsyth and Ted Roberts teamed up to deliver the first goal. Roberts delivered the corner to the far post where Forsyth headed the ball back across the penalty area, and Correa headed in his first goal of the year.

The Mountain Lions needed less than two minutes later to double the lead.

Sophomore forward Ignacio Alvarez Maina swept a pass to fellow sophomore forward Syrus Conolly at the half field line. Conolly took off and beat the Charleston goalkeeper 1-on-1 for his ninth goal of the season.

Despite being outshot in the first half, 8-5, CU took a 3-0 lead into halftime after Conolly scored for the tenth time this fall in the 36^th minute. On a long punt from junior goalkeeper Nathan Scargill to within 25 yards of the goal, Conolly controlled the ball. After his initial attempt was saved, Conolly steered the rebound into the back of the net.

Charleston answered with a goal in the 55^th minute and sliced the margin to 3-2 with a bicycle kick goal in the 61^st minute.

And while UC took six more shots in the final 30 minutes of the game, none were target.

Concord was outshot in the game, 18-6, but five of the Mountain Lions' shots were target. Scargill saved four shots in the contest.

Conolly recorded five shots, and Correa's goal was his lone shot in the game.

CU had previously been 0-29 against nationally-ranked teams dating back to 2013, and had never been Charleston, previously 0-40.

Wednesday's victory also extended Concord's win streak to 10 games—the second longest active streak in Division II.

The Mountain Lions await the winner of the MEC Quarterfinals as they have a bye into the MEC Semifinals that will be played Wednesday, November 13 at Callaghan Stadium.