SIUE Men's Soccer Season Comes to End in Mid-American Conference Tournament

EDWARDSVILLE – SIUE men's soccer's season came to an end Tuesday night at the hands of West Virginia in the quarterfinal of the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

The sixth-seeded Mountaineers defeated the third-seeded Cougars 1-0 at Korte Stadium to advance to the semifinals against Western Michigan.

SIUE finishes the year at 8-5-4 overall. West Virginia is 7-8-2.

"Result aside, I think tonight was the culmination of the first year coming together and all the themes we talked about," SIUE Head Coach Cale Wassermann said. "I was proud of the team's performance, we attacked well and had great defense."

West Virginia took advantage of a turnover in the 43^rd minute for the game's only goal. Rodrigo Robles Grajera got free on a breakaway and finished low to the left of SIUE goalkeeper Noah Heim for the game winner.

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"It came down to one crucial moment and credit to West Virginia, they were ready for it," Wassermann said. "Our team from top to bottom prepared really well for this game not just in the last two to three days, but also since August. We executed really well, but things just did not go our way."

The Cougars outshot the Mountaineers 13-9, including 7-3 in the first half. Heim made four saves while WVU goalkeeper Steven Tekesky made three in the shutout.

"We are thinking about our seniors who played their last game tonight," Wassermann said. "They really went out and put it on the line this week, tonight, this season and their entire careers here at SIUE."

It also is the end of the first season for Wassermann as head coach.

"I feel proud to be a part of this historic program with a lot of alumni, who I have been connecting with," Wassermann said. "I've started to learn about the history and see the current guys respect it as well. They are proud of this program and want to live up to the expectations within it. Our expectations are to carry this legacy and to be one of the top teams batting for the MAC. We have a great core of guys coming back and we are really excited about our recruits."

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