CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A pair of WVIAC men's soccer heavyweights do battle on Saturday night in Charleston.
West Virginia Wesleyan and Charleston have combined to win five of the last six conference regular season titles; 2012 will be no different, with the winner claiming the final WVIAC crown and a first round bye in next week's conference tournament.
The Bobcats are just outside the NSCAA top-25 and sit fifth in the NCAA's most recent regional rankings with a record of 12-3-1 overall and 7-1 in WVIAC play. Wesleyan is 5-0-1 in its last six outings, averaging 3.7 goals per game. The Bobcats rolled to a 5-1 win over Alderson-Broaddus on Wednesday evening.
Wesleyan is led by junior forward Matthew Brown who has 11 goals and eight assists for the season. Senior captain Daniel Smee is second in the nation with 13 assists and also has seven goals on the year. WVWC is third in D-II, averaging 3.27 goals per game.
The Golden Eagles enter Saturday's matchup ranked fifth in the country with an overall record of 11-1-3 and a perfect 8-0 mark in league play. Charleston has won three matches in a row after dropping a 3-0 decision against Notre Dame College. UC rallied from a 2-1 deficit to knock off Wheeling Jesuit on Wednesday evening. The Golden Eagles are averaging five goals a game over their last three contests.
Charleston is led by senior midfielder Rob Vincent who has nine goals and five assists in the 2012 season. The Golden Eagles' keeper Sean Teppen is fifth in the country with an .864 save percentage (51-of-59).
If the Golden Eagles win, they claim the regular season title and Wesleyan finishes third in the conference which means they would play on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. If Wesleyan wins, the Bobcats earn the regular season title and the top seed in the WVIAC tournament, making Charleston the second seed.
