If there was a slump that followed the University of Charleston men’s soccer team’s upset loss to Wheeling Jesuit on Sept. 30, it didn’t last long. It didn’t even last until the next game.
Since that 2-0 setback, the now-No. 5 Golden Eagles haven’t allowed a goal in three straight wins, notching a trio of 2-0 victories against Shepherd, Alderson Broaddus and West Virginia Wesleyan. UC will try to keep that momentum going at 4 p.m. today when it hosts 18th-ranked Urbana at Schoenbaum Stadium.
As dominant as the Golden Eagles (10-1, 6-1 Mountain East Conference) had been before that loss to Jesuit, coach Chris Grassie said that game allowed the team to step back and re-evaluate. It helped re-instill the notion that every opponent had to be taken seriously.
But not too seriously, he added. Grassie and the team felt that, in trying to march through the regular season, they had lost some of the fun in playing the game. The Golden Eagles wanted to get that back.
“Part of it was focused on the here and now, enjoying each other’s company, enjoying playing with each other and the journey,” Grassie said. “Everyone was so focused on getting back to the national championship game and righting a wrong, that we kind of forgot about the joy of playing soccer and playing on a good team.”
Over the past three games, Grassie has seen that fun return. He definitely noticed it during UC’s last win over Wesleyan. That shutout was the Golden Eagles’ eighth of the season, and it was a game where Grassie promoted offering support rather than criticism.
“We talked about positive reinforcement instead of getting on each other’s backs if things aren’t going well,” he said. “We talked about enhancing the connectivity. If someone has a bad touch, give him the ball again and let him get back on the horse quickly.”
UC has yet to allow a goal at Schoenbaum Stadium, but the Blue Knights are surging. They haven’t lost a game since the Golden Eagles handled them in a 4-1 win in Ohio. Grassie said Urbana (9-1-1) has changed its formation since the two teams last played, which should make the Blue Knights better set up to counterattack. Defender/midfielder Mike McFarlane and midfielder Raoui Lassoued lead Urbana with six goals each.
UC has a trio of top scorers at forward — Felipe Antonio with seven goals, Will Roberts with six goals and Augusto Maciel with five.
“They’ve won nine straight since we’ve played them, so we’re going to face a team that’s very high on confidence,” Grassie said Urbana. “They’ve really started to find their own identity. There’s one thing we really love as a team, and that’s a challenge.”