BECKLEY — The Morgantown boys’ soccer team will play for the class AAA boys soccer state championship against Washington after senior Vivek Sriram scored in overtime to defeat Cabell Midland 2-1 on Friday night in the state semifinals.
The Mohigans took control of the game early on, earning a large portion of the possession and earning free kicks, something coach Sam Snyder mentioned they would emphasize.
“We wanted to build on set pieces and possession in this game and everything we wanted to do, we were able to in the first half,” he said.
His game plan proved successful when senior defender Connor Brumbaugh capitalized on a free kick in the 15th minute of the first half to give MHS a 1-0 lead. It was Brumbaugh’s fifth goal of the season.
Halftime saw the same score line with Morgantown leading 1-0. However, the beginning of the second half of play was a different story. The Knights came out of the locker room and looked like a different team, forcing multiple saves from Morgantown goalkeeper Carter Cave.
“We really just lost our shape in the second half, it’s like we forgot how to create space. It had more to do with Cabell Midland just ballin’,” Snyder said.
The Knights would eventually break through on a cross into the box that was controlled by senior forward Ryan Holmes. Holmes calmly chested the ball to his feet and buried a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner, tallying his 33rd goal of the year and sending the game into sudden-death overtime.
Just five minutes into the first overtime, Sriram saw an opportunity and sent a shot into the air from 35 yards away that sailed over the head of the Knights’ goalkeeper and into the bottom corner, sending his team to the championship, set for Saturday.
The Mohigans will face off against a familiar foe in Washington, which beat MHS 4-2 back in August in Morgantown.
“We’re both coming off overtime wins, they were more clinical the first time around. We just want
to come out and be the best 11 men on the field and come out victorious,” Snyder said.
The game is scheduled to begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the girls’ championship, which is set for 10:30 a.m.
By MICHAEL GRIFFITH
