BUCKHANNON – The West Virginia Wesleyan men's soccer team kept their Mountain East Conference play-off chances alive today in a MEC battle with the Urbana University Blue Knights.
Wesleyan had to earn a win or a tie against Urbana or they would have been eliminated from contention for a play-off spot.
The Bobcats earned a hard-fought 2-2 tie with the Blue Knights.
The tie moved Wesleyan back into the fourth place and the final play-off spot ahead of Wheeling Jesuit.
Wesleyan has 16 points while Wheeling Jesuit has 15 (a team gets three points for a win and one for a tie).
Wesleyan has concluded play in the MEC.
Wheeling Jesuit still has two MEC games remaining. If they lose both, Wesleyan will get the play-off spot. If Wheeling Jesuit ties or wins one of their final two games, they will get the play-off berth.
Wheeling Jesuit plays Urbana Wednesday and Charleston Saturday. Both games are on the road.
Raoui Lassoued scored an unassisted goal for Urbana at the 15:58 mark for the lone goal in the first 45 minutes of action.
Jordan Halpern played a cross to Pavle Milicevic who found the back of the net to deadlock the game at 1-1 at the 59:07 mark.
Paul Smith gave Wesleyan a 2-1 lead when he redirected in a ball played by Halpern at the 67:19 mark.
Wesleyan's lead would be short-lived however as Ray Roberts scored an unassisted goal in front of the net three minutes later to tie the game again at 2-2.
Urbana had two golden opportunities to win the game in the final four minutes.
Lassoued missed a penalty kick high at the 86:36 mark and then he missed a wide open net with 90 seconds remaining.
Wesleyan owned a 14-11 lead in shots and an 8-5 advantage in shots-on-goal.
Wesleyan keeper Luka Pauk turned away three shots.
The Bobcats owned a 6-5 lead in corner kicks.
The tie left Gavin Donaldson's club with a 7-7-2 record overall and a 5-6-1 mark in the MEC.
Urbana is now 12-2-2 overall and 7-2-1 in the MEC.
Wesleyan will return to action this Wednesday on the road against Bloomsburg (Pa.)
That contest will begin at 2 p.m.
(Photo courtesy of Peter Galarneau Jr.)
