Beckley, WV – The #4 University of the Cumberlands men's soccer team opened the 2026 season with a 1-1 draw against #2 WVU Tech Sunday afternoon at Paul Cline Stadium.
Cumberlands generated the early chances as Vinicius Serafim fired a shot wide in the 3' before nearly putting UC in front a minute later when his effort deflected off the crossbar. The Patriots continued to apply pressure and earned their first corner kick in the 7', while WVU Tech responded with three corners of its own over the next 18 minutes.
UC tested WVU Tech goalkeeper twice in quick succession in the 28' as Dunsting Cohen Jr. put a shot on frame before Leandro Nico Romero followed with another effort that was saved. Cumberlands kept pushing forward as Romero had another shot stopped by a team save in the 39' before Zabir Taylor forced a save in the 42'. WVU Tech produced its best chance of the opening half in the closing seconds when WVU Tech's shot struck the post, sending the teams into halftime scoreless.
The Golden Bears applied pressure immediately out of the break, forcing a defensive team save just 23 seconds into the half before Martin Gomez made a stop in the 48'. WVU Tech broke through moments later as they found the back of the net to gain a 1-0 advantage.
Cumberlands responded quickly. Yota Ishikawa put a shot on frame and the Patriots earned a corner before Taylor and Romero each added chances. UC found the equalizer in the 56' when Taylor set up Dunsting Cohen Jr., who finished the opportunity for his first collegiate goal to level the match at 1-1.
The back-and-forth continued as WVU Tech earned a pair of corners following the equalizer before Cohen Jr. looked for his second goal of the match in the 65'. Guilherme Pacheco Mendes put another shot on frame two minutes later, but the Golden Bears' goalkeeper was there for the save. WVU Tech answered with a stretch of pressure that included four shots and three corner kicks, with Gomez making a save in the 75' to keep the match even.
UC created another dangerous opportunity off a Taylor corner in the 76' as Cohen Jr. headed the ensuing chance wide left. The Patriots' best opportunity to take the lead came moments later, but the play was halted by an offside call in the 78'. Neither side was able to break through over the final minutes as the Patriots earned the 1-1 draw.
Cumberlands finished with 14 shots, including seven on frame, while WVU Tech recorded eight shots with four on goal. The Patriots earned five corner kicks, while the Golden Bears tallied eight. Gomez recorded two saves for UC.
Cumberlands returns to the pitch Thursday, August 27, when the Patriots face #22 Grace College in Rio Grande, OH. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m.
For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics. Please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter- @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday, Instagram- @UCPatriots, TikTok- @ucpatriots, Youtube- Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands
