Marshall University Athletics
Tuesday, October 31
Huntington, W.Va.
7:15 PM
Marshall University
14-2-0, 7-2-0
2
vs
0
South Carolina
5-8-3, 3-4-2
1
2
F
South Carolina
0
0
0
Marshall
0
2
2
Photo by: Austin O Connor
No. 4 Herd Captures 2023 SBC Regular Season Championship
10/31/2023 11:41:00 PM | Men's Soccer
2-0 win over South Carolina on Tuesday clinches regular season conference crown
Box Score (PDF) | Coach Grassie Postgame Interview | Championship Fund | 2023 SBC Bracket
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The No. 4 Marshall University Men's Soccer team (14-2, 7-2 Sun Belt) clinched the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Regular Season Champions on Tuesday night. The team's 14th win set a program-record regular-season win total.
With the 2-0 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks (5-8-3, 3-4-2 Sun Belt) and a UCF loss to James Madison, The Herd sealed the title and first seed in next week's SBC Men's Soccer Tournament.
"This one means the most to me because the regular season, I think, is the best championship," Herd men's soccer head coach Chris Grassie said after the match. The tournament, anything can happen. Soccer is a low scoring sport. You can get an upset and the better team can lose. In the regular season, over the course of the season, I think the better team rises to the top and that was always my ambition. This means the most to me and puts us in a great mood to try and do the double now.
Goalkeeper Gabriel Perrotta brought his shutout total to 8.5 in the victory on Halloween. The graduate student made three of his four saves in the first half to keep the Gamecocks off the scoreboard and go into halftime 0-0.
"It's always about how your team defends, I'm last the resource out and my teammates make my job easy," Perrotta said about the shutout.
Coming out of the break, Marshall earned a free kick in the 51st minute. Alexander Stjernegaard stepped behind the ball. The Danish midfielder sent the attempt over the wall and past the South Carolina keeper for his first goal in the Green and White to make it 1-0 Herd at the 50:53 mark.
"It's something that I've worked on a lot," Stjernegaard said about his free kick goal. "I know I have a lot of dip on my shot. So, I just try to get it over the wall and down."
18 minutes later, Stjernegaard sent in a corner kick. Braian Amaro headed the ball back into the six-yard box and found Alvaro Garcia-Pascual, who tallied his sixth goal of the season, to make it 2-0 Marshall.
Perrotta made his final save in the 87th minute to seal the shutout.
"We've suffered some ups and downs this season," Grassie said. "I think you have to take some lickings to win championships. You have to know what adversity looks like and this sport can dish it up quite easily. You have to know what it takes to comeback and put yourself right and, I think (the guys did showed that today)."
NEXT UP
No. 4 Marshall prepares for the Old Dominion Monarchs in the first round of the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Tournament. The match is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. at Hoops Family Field.
To donate to the Championship Fund for Marshall men's soccer, please click HERE. All proceeds go directly to the Marshall men's soccer team.
For all the latest information about Marshall men's soccer, follow @herdmsoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The No. 4 Marshall University Men's Soccer team (14-2, 7-2 Sun Belt) clinched the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Regular Season Champions on Tuesday night. The team's 14th win set a program-record regular-season win total.
With the 2-0 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks (5-8-3, 3-4-2 Sun Belt) and a UCF loss to James Madison, The Herd sealed the title and first seed in next week's SBC Men's Soccer Tournament.
"This one means the most to me because the regular season, I think, is the best championship," Herd men's soccer head coach Chris Grassie said after the match. The tournament, anything can happen. Soccer is a low scoring sport. You can get an upset and the better team can lose. In the regular season, over the course of the season, I think the better team rises to the top and that was always my ambition. This means the most to me and puts us in a great mood to try and do the double now.
Goalkeeper Gabriel Perrotta brought his shutout total to 8.5 in the victory on Halloween. The graduate student made three of his four saves in the first half to keep the Gamecocks off the scoreboard and go into halftime 0-0.
"It's always about how your team defends, I'm last the resource out and my teammates make my job easy," Perrotta said about the shutout.
Coming out of the break, Marshall earned a free kick in the 51st minute. Alexander Stjernegaard stepped behind the ball. The Danish midfielder sent the attempt over the wall and past the South Carolina keeper for his first goal in the Green and White to make it 1-0 Herd at the 50:53 mark.
"It's something that I've worked on a lot," Stjernegaard said about his free kick goal. "I know I have a lot of dip on my shot. So, I just try to get it over the wall and down."
18 minutes later, Stjernegaard sent in a corner kick. Braian Amaro headed the ball back into the six-yard box and found Alvaro Garcia-Pascual, who tallied his sixth goal of the season, to make it 2-0 Marshall.
Perrotta made his final save in the 87th minute to seal the shutout.
"We've suffered some ups and downs this season," Grassie said. "I think you have to take some lickings to win championships. You have to know what adversity looks like and this sport can dish it up quite easily. You have to know what it takes to comeback and put yourself right and, I think (the guys did showed that today)."
NEXT UP
No. 4 Marshall prepares for the Old Dominion Monarchs in the first round of the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Tournament. The match is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. at Hoops Family Field.
To donate to the Championship Fund for Marshall men's soccer, please click HERE. All proceeds go directly to the Marshall men's soccer team.
For all the latest information about Marshall men's soccer, follow @herdmsoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.
---HerdZone.com---
Team Stats
SC
MAR
Goals
0
2
Shots
9
16
Shots on Goal
4
6
Saves
4
4
Corners
1
8
Fouls
9
14
Scoring Plays
Alexander Stjernegaard (1)
GOAL by MAR Stjernegaard, Alexander.
50:53
Alvaro Garcia-Pascual (5)
Assisted By: Braian Amaro , Alexander Stjernegaard
GOAL by MAR Garcia-Pascual, Alvaro Assist by Amaro, Braian and Stjernegaard, Alexander.
68:39
Game Leaders
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
1
Shots
6
SOG
3
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
3
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
D
/ Men's SoccerF
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's SoccerM
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