BUCKHANNON — Sophomore midfielder Erik Rostoen buried his second game-winner of the season to put the Bobcat men’s soccer team up 2-1 in the 76th minute and West Virginia Wesleyan College (3-1-0) defeated Mountain East Conference defending champion University of Charleston (3-1-0), Sunday at Cebe Ross Field in Buckhannon.
As is tradition in this long rivalry, cards were numerous as the referee raised the yellow nine times (WVWC,5; UC, 4) and the red once (Juan Hermoso, UC, 90th minute). Both defenses held strong in the first half to send the match into halftime, scoreless.
The Golden Eagles grabbed the lead in the 58th minute when Jose Suarez Monaco headed a cross from Franco Tradatti to the back post past Wesleyan keeper Bryant Sheffield (four saves).
But in a similar response to Wheeling University’s first goal in the Bobcats’ last match, Wesleyan tied the score less than 90 seconds later when Rostoen crossed on a run down the left side to center just 10 yards out to the rushing foot of Dillon Rajkovic. Charleston keeper Nicolai Gundersen intercepted and the ball came off Gundersen’s hands and bounced backward to the waiting foot of Sinasi Emre Deniz who ripped the open net.
Rostoen’s game-winner came from a Casey Bunker head touch at the six from a centering pass by Emre Deniz. The touch went far left of the 18 and Rostoen wasted no time to settle a bounce and rifle the ball into the near post netting.
“The guys showed great character again to react so well to conceding, and for that, I’m so proud of them,” said head coach Josh Spencer. “We’ve still got work to do to get where we want to be, but to beat one of the best teams in the country, and to do it the way we did, I’m so happy.”
The undefeated MEC Bobcats will travel to Concord University Wednesday, Sept. 13 for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff in Athens, W.Va.
