James Madison Prevails in Double Overtime to Claim CAA Men's Soccer Title
Bill Potter
WILMINGTON, N.C. (Nov. 17, 2019) –
Niclas Mohr’s goal with 3:27 to play in double overtime sent No. 2 James Madison to a 1-0 victory over top-seeded UNCW in the CAA Men’s Soccer Championship at the UNCW Soccer Stadium.
With the win, James Madison (11-6-3) earned the CAA’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship.
Receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll, James Madison is the the first CAA team to earn back-to-back titles since Hofstra from 2004-06. The championship is the program’s seventh conference title.
Mohr’s goal came after Tim Estermann dribbled the ball into the attacking third and laid off a pass to Mohr, who stood just off the right corner of the 18-yard box.
Taking the pass, Mohr dribbled back to his left before uncurling a left-footed shot from the top of the box that initially appeared outside the goal before curling back into the upper lefthand corner and outside the outstretched arms of UNCW goalkeeper Gabriel Perrotta.
A minute prior, it was Perrotta extending the match, making a diving save on Manuel Ferriol’s free kick from just outside the top of the 18-yard box.
A physical affair throughout, the match saw 28 combined fouls and nine cards, seven of which were issued to JMU. UNCW played a man down from the 25:58 mark of the first half after Jacob Evans was shown a red card.
The Seahawks’ best chance came in the 78
th minute, as Wilhelm Nilsson’s cross caromed off a player and onto the left post. The ball ricocheted across the mouth of the goal, where a James Madison defender was able to clear the ball just ahead of a UNCW attempt to poke the ball home.
TJ Bush made two saves for James Madison in recording his sixth shutout of the season; Perrotta also made two saves for UNCW. UNCW outshot JMU, 11-6; however, the Dukes put three shots on frame to the Seahawks’ two.
Mohr was named the championship’s Most Outstanding Player, joined by teammates Bush, Ferriol and Melker Anshelm on the all-tournament team. UNCW placed Gabriel Cabral, Phillip Goodrum and Mark Lindstrom on the team.
James Madison, which reached the quarterfinals of the 2018 NCAA Championship, will find out its destination for the 2019 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship during the Division I Men's Soccer Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 18, at 1 p.m. ET. UNCW (12-5-2), which had its nine-match unbeaten streak snapped, will be among the teams up for at-large consideration among the NCAA Men’s Soccer Committee.
2019 CAA Men’s Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team
Melker Anshelm, James Madison
TJ Bush, James Madison
Manuel Ferriol, James Madison
Niclas Mohr, James Madison (Most Outstanding Player)
Gabriel Cabral, UNCW
Phillip Goodrum, UNCW
Mark Lindstrom, UNCW
Hendrik Hebbeker, Hofstra
George O’Malley, Hofstra
Alexander Levengood, William & Mary
Julian Ngoh, William & Mary