Poor second half costs soccer ‘Cats in 6-2 home loss to Notre Dame

BUCKHANNON — Visiting Notre Dame College (OH) posted a sixgoal performance Wednesday to defeat West Virginia Wesleyan College 6-2 in Buckhannon.

Wesleyan’s leading scorer Sinasi Emre Deniz ( six goals) got the ‘Cats on the board first when the Falcons’ David Kolar committed a foul inside the box and Deniz pelted the resulting penalty kick in the 25th minute.

The match turned in the 31st minute when Casey Bunker broke through the Falcons’ back line to find himself alone 20 yards from the Notre Dame keeper Danilo Abayo Wilson. Wilson rushed out of goal to collide with Bunker at the 18-yard stripe, taking him down in an obvious foul. Tempers erupted on the Bobcat sideline when the officials decided that Wilson neither committed a deliberate foul against an attacking player to prevent him from scoring a goal nor did they red card the foul which was obviously physically flagrant. Wilson received a yellow and a Bobcat free kick at the top of the box was unsuccessful.

Notre Dame then went on a five-goal rampage with two scores by Mirai Sato (41st and 52nd minutes) and one each by Connor O’Reilly (54th minute), Guilherme Wanderley (72nd minute) and Ailton Fagner Silva (79th minute).

Wesleyan’s Max Evans tried to pull the Bobcats back in with a 1-v-1 goal in the 83rd minute but Notre Dame washed that goal aside with one of its own a minute later.

The Bobcats travel to West Liberty University Sunday, Oct. 1 for a Mountain East Conference matchup that starts at 1 p.m.

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