WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — The West Liberty University men's soccer team pushed one of the nation's top teams to the limit on Wednesday night, but No. 2-ranked Charleston (WV) used a late surge to escape with a 2–1 victory at the West Family Complex.

The Hilltoppers struck first and carried a lead into halftime, but Charleston regrouped with two second-half goals to stay unbeaten in Mountain East Conference play.

West Liberty opened with strong energy on both ends of the field, and their persistence paid off in the 24th minute when Alex Watt found the back of the net off a setup from Travis Scandalis, giving the Hilltoppers a 1–0 lead. Goalkeeper Shai'ya Fitzgerald anchored a disciplined defensive effort in the first half, making several key stops to preserve the advantage heading into the break.

Charleston turned up the pressure after halftime, and the Golden Eagles drew even in the 62nd minute when Joao Silva, assisted by Tomas Petrungaro, converted the equalizer. West Liberty continued to battle and nearly regained the lead when Zachary Jordan's shot was turned aside by Charleston keeper Konstantinos Parisis.

The decisive moment came in the 87th minute, as Leonardo Dutra delivered the game-winner off an assist from Martin Echarren, sealing the 2–1 comeback victory for Charleston.

Fitzgerald finished with seven saves, keeping the Hilltoppers within striking distance throughout the match. Watt tallied West Liberty's lone goal, while Scandalis added the assist and recorded a shot on target.

After the match, head coach Sean Regan praised his team's fight and resilience against one of Division II's elite programs."We played like warriors," Regan said. "We took the second-best team in the country to the wire. We are devastated by the loss but also so proud of how we played."

West Liberty (5-7-4, 3-6-3) will look to bounce back on the road Saturday when it travels to Concord for a 1 p.m. kickoff in Athens, W.Va.