MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Playing its first ranked team of the season, West Virginia played the second half with a man advantage yet fell 2-0 to No. 20 Pacific on Sunday in men’s soccer.
The Mountaineers (6-3-2) recorded 12 shots and limited the Tigers (8-2-0) to four.
Tariq Branche scored both goals for Pacific while keeper Curtis Goldsmith countered with four saves.
Pacific’s first goal came at 11:17. From just outside the near corner of the 18, Bob Groenendijk sent a cross in to Branche, who scored from six yards out.
WVU’s Albert Andres-Llop had a free kick opportunity in the 13th minute from the far corner outside the box, but his chance in was saved by a leaping Goldsmith.
Jad Arslan had another chance in the 43rd minute, when he was tripped by the keeper outside the box. After Goldsmith received a yellow card, Tsubasa Takada’s free kick opportunity went high.
Just before halftime, a red card was shown to Pacific’s Tristan Blackmon. It was one of six cards shown in the match, with three to each team. WVU would play the remainder of the game with the man advantage.
Early in the second half, freshman Spenser Myers had a shot from the edge of the box, but it was blocked. WVU had another chance 12 minutes later on Arslan’s corner kick, but again the Tiger keeper was able to intercept the ball.
The Tigers extended their lead to 2-0 at 69:28. Off a corner kick, the Mountaineers couldn’t clear the ball. Andres Ochoa headed it out to Branche, who connected from the near corner of the box on a ball that bounced in off the near post.