The No. 6 ranked University of Charleston men’s soccer team dismantled an outmatched, yet determined squad from Urbana by a score of 5-1, Wednesday night in front of a record crowd of 511 at Triana Field.
Charleston responded to the challenge as a top 10 team will ---with a flurry of shots. Urbana was outshot in the first-half 11-to-3, while trailing overall in the game 28-to-6.
UC got the equalizer in the 22nd minute as Dion Peters (Trincity, Trinidad/El Dorado Secondary) scored on an assist from Rob Vincent (Liverpool, England/Prescot). Vincent later scored the go-ahead and game-winning goal on a penalty kick at the 33:32 mark to round out the first-half scoring (2-1).
Urbana kept it close for much of the second half, yet Charleston put the early scare behind them as junior Kyle McCarty (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) stole the ball and used nifty footwork to cross up the Blue Knight defense before placing the ball into the right-side of the goal for a 3-1 advantage.
The Golden Eagles continued to dominate possession as junior Harry Machacha (Germiston, South Africa/ Tyler JC) added an insurance goal in the 78th minute off a Dan Walmsley (Manchester, England/Cardinal Newman) assist (4-1).
The scoring was wrapped up as Michael Osuji (Imo State, Nigeria/Central (Minn.) headed a throw-in from McCarty that found its way through the Urbana defense to seal the contest at 5-1.
Teepen recorded the win for UC in goal as he managed three saves on the evening.
Charleston is back on the field on Saturday, September 11 as they open West Virginia Conference play at Wheeling Jesuit at 1:00 pm. The Cardinals were picked fourth in the WVIAC Coaches Poll and have started the season with a 2-1-0 record.