MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Virginia Tech men's soccer team fell to 11th-seeded West Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday afternoon.
The match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, went to penalty kicks. In penalties, West Virginia advanced, 4-3.
In front of a rowdy away crowd, a battered and bruised Tech squad battled with the No. 21 Mountaineers for 110 minutes. The match marked the Hokies' eighth trip to extra time this season, sitting 3-1-4 in those fixtures.
West Virginia got on the board first in the 7th minute, as Ike Swiger swooped in and finished a cross from close range. Despite giving up the early goal, Tech battled back and didn't allow the home side to build on its lead. The Hokies went into the break with 4-3 advantage in shots.
In the second half, Virginia Tech went forward with more authority, and it paid off in the 56th minute, as Jacob Labovitz evened the score with a powerful shot from outside the box.
From there, Tech and West Virginia exchanged opportunities for the remaining half hour, but neither team had a breakthrough.
More of the same occurred through extra time. As time expired in the second overtime period, Ben Martino made an acrobatic save on a Mountaineer's bicycle kick attempt to preserve the tied score.
In penalties, West Virginia advanced after Tech was unable to convert two kicks from the spot. The result marked the second season in a row the Hokies fell to a seeded team in penalty kicks.Gallery: (11-21-2021) MSOC: NCAA Championship Second Round at West Virginia