William and Mary men’s soccer (3-4, 1-2 CAA) got a much-needed win Saturday to claim its first CAA victory of the new season and move back closer to .500 on the year.
The Tribe topped the College of Charleston (3-5, 0-4 CAA) in a narrow 1-0 contest in which the only goal came off a drawn penalty kick by junior Diba Nwegbo. Junior Alexander Levengood took and made the penalty in the 83rd minute — his third goal of the season and second go-ahead score.
The Tribe started out on the offensive, getting four shots off in the first 22 minutes. It became far more balanced after that as the Cougars got their footing in the game, attempting four of their own before halftime.
The game was a deadlock throughout, with neither team scoring until Levengood’s penalty. The Tribe did outshoot the Cougars 14-8 and 4-1 in shots on goal, but the outcome was decidedly in doubt until the costly foul inside the box. Nwegbo earned the foul call as well, when a Cougar defender’s swinging foot glanced off his head during an attempted clear.
The Cougars got one shot on goal during the contest, but it was a laser saved by junior goalkeeper Connor Andrews early in the second half that would have significantly changed the momentum of the game. The shot screamed toward the bottom right corner of the goal in the 67th minute, forcing Andrews to lay out in an effort to keep it in the field of play.
Levengood kept the pressure on all game, attempting four shots, two of which were on target. Nwegbo also made life difficult for the Cougar goalie, launching three shots and two on target as well.
The Tribe’s offense showed signs of promise in the game, with additional scoring efforts cut short by offsides calls, four on the day. The defense had its moments too, making life easier for Andrews except for the one close call.
The College will return to action on Oct. 5 against nationally-ranked Wake Forest, who is placed 20th in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. The game will begin at 7 p.m. in Winston-Salem and can be viewed on ACC Network Extra.