HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – No. 9-ranked Marshall got second-half goals from Jan-Erik Leinhos and Pedro Dolabella as the Thundering Herd defeated No. 12 Charlotte 2-0 at Hoops Family Field to earn Marshall the 2020 C-USA men’s soccer title.
 
Marshall (9-2-2 overall; 6-0-1 C-USA) finished with 19 points in the C-USA standings, one point ahead of Charlotte (6-3-1 overall; 6-1 C-USA). With the victory, the Herd receive C-USA’s automatic bid to the 2020 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship. It is the second consecutive year that Marshall has captured the C-USA championship after taking both the regular season and the tournament titles in 2019.
 
After a scoreless first half, Marshall was awarded a penalty kick in the 64th minute. Leinhos struck a low liner that hit the left post and deflected into the goal for a 1-0 Herd lead. The goal was Leinhos’ fourth of the season.
 
In the 69th minute, Dolabella hit a shot from just outside the 18-yard box that ticked off the inside of the crossbar and went in as Marshall doubled its lead to 2-0. It was his first goal of the season, and it was assisted by Milo Yosef.
 
Marshall outshot Charlotte 10-9 overall, and the 49ers held a slight advantage in shots on goal at 4-3. Charlotte took 11 corner kicks to Marshall’s three.
 
Herd goalkeeper Oliver Semmle saved four shots – all in the second half – for his sixth shutout in seven C-USA games. That effort earned him the conference’s Golden Glove award for most shutouts posted in C-USA play. Charlotte goalkeeper Austin Mullins stopped a pair of shots for the 49ers.
 
The Herd – and C-USA teams on the hunt for an at-large bid – now await the 2020 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship Selection Show on Monday, April 19 at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT on NCAA.com, where they will learn who they will face in the first round as part of the 36-team field.