Marshall University Men’s Soccer Advances to Elite 8 with 2-1 Win Over NC State

Marshall University‘s men’s soccer team made history on Saturday, November 30, by advancing to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament. The 13th-seeded Herd secured a 2-1 victory over NC State in the third round of the tournament, held in Huntington, West Virginia.

The game saw Marshall’s forward, Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos, score two crucial goals. The first came in the 9th minute when he intercepted a square ball from NC State’s defensive line and scored an uncontested shot. He added his second goal in the 37th minute, giving Marshall a 2-0 lead.

NC State attempted to mount a comeback, with Vusumzi Plamana heading the ball into the net in the 77th minute to reduce the deficit to 2-1. However, the Wolfpack were unable to find another scoring opportunity, ending their historic season.

This season marked significant milestones for NC State men’s soccer, including their first Sweet Sixteen appearance in 30 years and their best start and conclusion to a season since 1992 and 1994, respectively. Under the leadership of new head coach Marc Hubbard, the team finished with 10 wins, their first double-digit win season since 2018.