The 2024 DII men's soccer championship match has turned out to be a rubber match between two powerhouses. Charleston (WV) and Lynn will meet for the national championship for the third time in the past decade. Lynn won the initial meeting 3-2 in 2014, and Charleston evened the score in 2017 in penalty kicks.
Here's what you need to know.
⚽️ Updates, scores and bracket from every round of the DII men's soccer championship
The DII men's soccer championship: How to watch
Charleston (WV) and Lynn are set to go head-to-head from Sportsplex at Matthews, in Matthews, North Carolina, at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 14. You can stream the game live right here on krikya18.com.
Charleston (WV) vs. Lynn: By the numbers
| Team | Scoring Offense | GAA | Goal Differential | Save percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston (WV) | 2.74 | 0.65 | 48 | 0.742 |
| Lynn | 2.40 | 0.50 | 38 | 0.804 |
This is exactly how the DII men's soccer season should end, as Lynn and Charleston look like the best two teams in the division from start to finish this season. Lynn entered the tournament No. 1 in the coaches poll and remain lossless at 19-0-2, while Charleston was right behind at No. 2, now 22-1-1.
The Golden Eagles come to the championship match No. 5 in scoring offense in the division and No. 4 in goals against, which gives them the second best goal differential in DII. Joso Belmudes, Jack Kay and Caio Moraes give Charleston a trio of double-digit scorers. All three have been clutch in the tournament: Moraes sent the defending champion Franklin Pierce Ravens home with his game-winner; Belmudes scored the game-winner in the one-goal victory over Felician; and Kay put the Golden Eagles into the championship match with his game-winner against defending national runners-up CSU Pueblo. That's quite the run, taking out the teams that have appeared in the previous two championship matches.
Charleston cleaned up in the accolades, as Kay was the MEC player of the year and Tristen Rose was the defender of the year. Nicolai Gunderson, who led the MEC in goals against average, was First Team All-MEC. Simply put, the Golden Eagles are loaded.
Lynn has yet to lose this season, and the Fighting Knights are powered by one of the best defenses in the land. Henry Haferkorn anchored the back line, winning SSC defensive player of the year, and Luca Clavero — who is No. 2 in DII in goals against average and top 20 in save percentage — was SSC keeper of the year. That defense has done its thing in the tournament thus far, posting two shutouts and allowing just two goals in their four games.
Where Charleston has three big-time scorers in double-digits, Lynn has none. Luis Kiefer leads the team with seven goals, but there is balance here. Five more players have scored at least five goals, whereas after Charleston's big three, no Golden Eagle has five goals. That balance has been on display in the postseason as six different players have combined to score Lynn's seven goals.
Charleston (WV) vs. Lynn, predicted
This is a tough one. Both of these programs have plenty of history: Charleston is 2-3 in the championship match over the past decade, while Lynn is entering its seveth championship matches all time, winning three of the first six.
If defense wins championships, then this match goes to Lynn, but that Charleston offense cannot be ignored. When you look at the road traveled in the tournament to get to this point, what Lynn has done has been quite impressive, taking down nationally ranked No. 9 West Florida, No. 4 Coker, No. 21 Clayton State and No. 12 McKendree. I think between the defense and depth of scoring — especially, should it come to PKs — Lynn has the slightest edge.
Prediction: Lynn 2, Charleston (WV) 1
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