West Liberty’s Women’s Soccer Recap
West Liberty’s Women’s Soccer team had to settle for an away draw against West Virginia State University as a late equaliser denied WLU of their second win of the season. The Lady Toppers took the lead early on in the first half after a delightful cross from sophomore Millie Colbran found Alyssa Rhinnaman who cooly slotted it home to put them ahead.

Having conceded just two goals all season, they gave another valiant defensive display which was unfortunately undone as the yellow jackets tied the game at 1-1 with just 30 seconds on the clock. Overtime was heavily dominated by the Hilltoppers but despite their best offensive efforts the game finished with the scores tied up.

The visiting side were on top for large parts of the game, recording a 12-7 shot advantage and a staggering 10-2 edge on corners during the game. Rhinnaman and Colbran both came close to doubling their advantage before they were made to rue their missed chances in the closing stages of the game. The Toppers also saw a goal from graduate student Grace Fodor disallowed for offside.

Barry Christmas’ Toppers now stand at 1-1-2 for the season with everything still to play for in the MEC North Division at the halfway mark. They currently sit third in the table behind Notre Dame College (Ohio) and Fairmont State University, while they are above local rivals Wheeling University having defeated them 2-0 last weekend.

Just four points separate the four teams in the division and with each team still having to play each other the second half of the season is sure to be an intriguing one. WLU will be hoping to put together a run of wins to close out the regular season and progress to the postseason for the second time in three seasons.

Next up for the Lady Toppers is their final home game of the season against the University of Charleston at 7 p.m. on Friday March 26. A limited number of spectators will be allowed at the game with COVID-19 guidelines set in place to ensure the safety of all involved. For more information visit Hilltoppersports.com.

West Liberty’s Men’s Soccer Recap
West Liberty’s Men’s Soccer team fell 2-1in an away defeat against nationally ranked Davis & Elkins College last Friday. The Hilltoppers were coming off the back of a dramatic overtime win against local rivals Wheeling University and started where they left off as a first-half goal from freshman forward Vitor Otsuka gave them an early lead.

The youthful squad were underdogs coming into the game however they seemed the more experienced side for large parts of the first half having the best of the chances before Otsuka put them 1-0 ahead with his first collegiate goal after a delightful pass by senior captain Bernardo Vilchiss. Otsuka went close to doubling the Toppers’ lead as his 25-yard volley forced the senators goalkeeper into making an outrageous save, keeping the score at 1-0 at the halfway point.

The home side started the second half on the front foot as they put the WLU defence under serious pressure as junior goalkeeper Noah Underwood made some impressive saves to keep their slim lead intact. The Senator’s experience and offensive talent turned out to be too much for the Toppers to handle as two late goals turned the match on its head, giving D&E the victory.

This unfortunate loss leaves West Liberty with a record of 1-3 at the halfway point in the season. Although the results haven’t always gone their way, the performances that the Hilltoppers have put in have given them a lot of hope and optimism for the rest of the season, with everything to play for. The Mountain East Conference is extremely competitive this year with four out of the nine teams receiving national ranking votes and, having held their own against three of those teams already, the Toppers will be hopeful that they can have a strong impact on the conference in the second half of the season.

Head Coach Sean Regan is in his second season at the helm of the men’s soccer team and he is sure to be impressed with the progress his young side has made. This year’s squad is made up of over 15 freshmen, with multiple of them seeing a lot of playing time on the field this spring. With a strong core of young players, WLU will be hoping to give themselves a good platform to build on in upcoming seasons.

Next up for the Hilltoppers is an away trip to Athens, West Virginia to face-off against Concord University this Friday, March 26. For updates on the game and more information visit Hilltoppersports.com and follow @westlibertymsoccer on instagram.