RedStorm bounces Golden Bears for RSC crown

Rio Grande Sports Information
     BECKLEY, W.Va. - Soccer is oft-referred to as "the beautiful game", but there was very little that was beautiful about Saturday's River States Conference Men's Soccer Championship between the University of Rio Grande and West Virginia University-Tech.
     Charlie Chechlacz scored one goal and assisted on another, leading the RedStorm in a 4-2 triumph over the Golden Bears at a cold, wet YMCA/Paul Cline Soccer Complex.
     The 20th-ranked and second-seeded RedStorm improved to 14-3-2 with the win and punched its ticket to next week's NAIA National Tournament.
     WVU-Tech, the tourney's top seed, slipped to 14-3-3 with the loss and must now await to see if it receives an at-large bid to the national tourney.
     A total of 21 yellow card cautions - nine against Rio Grande and 12 against the Golden Bears - were issued during the 2-1/2-hour marathon, including eight in the final 6:04 of game time. Amazingly, the 21 cards went against 20 different individuals.
     When the two teams were busy actually playing, it was Rio Grande which grabbed a 1-0 lead when junior Osvaldo Pereria (Campo Grande, Brazil) scored off of a touch by Chechlacz.
     WVU-Tech knotted the scored just under nine minutes later when Endjick Albert found the back of the net via a feed from Edward Tordoff.
     Things stayed tied until Rio's junior Benjamin Cam Orellana (Santiago, Chile) scored off an assist by Chechlacz with 30:38 left to play, giving the RedStorm a 2-1 advantage.
     It was a lead the Rio wouldn't relinquish.
     Chechlacz, a senior from Liecestershire, England, essentially secured the win on an unassisted marker with 6:08 remaining, while freshman Altan Sayar (Switzerland) tacked on an unassisted goal of his own just under 2-1/2 minutes later to make it 4-1.
     The Golden Bears netted the game's final goal with 2:49 remaining when Enrique Ezuerro Lope scored off another assist by Tordoff.
     Rio Grande finished with a sizeable 19-7 edge in shots overall and an 11-6 cushion in shots on goal.
     RedStorm junior keeper Oton Merin Torro (Spain) earned the win in relief of senior starter Daniel Merino Correa (Madrid, Spain), after Merino Correa was forced out of the game due to injury.
     Merin Torro recorded a pair of saves over his 52:10 in net, while Merino Correa had one save of his own before his departure.
     Lucas Rivera Paramio had seven saves in a losing cause for Tech.
     Rio Grande will learn the site of opening round contest - and the identity of its opponent - on Monday afternoon.