The Mountaineers were able to capture a win over the UNC Asheville Bulldogs in a 1-0 victory Tuesday, snapping the team’s four-game losing streak.

“It’s good to get back in the win column,” head coach Matt Nelson said. “On top of that I think this is one of the better games we’ve played in the last five or six games. It’s always good to get home and play in front of our fans at our home field.”

The game was high tempo from the start, as the Mountaineers were able to steal a goal in the 15th minute. Freshman defender Jamir James sent in a lob pass connecting with freshman midfielder Daniel Avila. Avila was able to put a head to the ball, playing it across the box to junior forward Stephen Chapman who slammed the ball into the back of the net.

The Mountaineers looked for another goal. The Apps sent a barrage of threatening attacks, routinely ending with a desperate clearance from the Bulldogs defense.

The Apps landed a total of four shots on goal throughout the game, and came close to scoring in the last few minutes. Freshman midfielder Ian Bennett powered in a header which passed by the Bulldog goalkeeper but was saved at the goal line from a Bulldog defender.

The Black and Gold look to be back in their old form and the team as a whole seems happy with the result.

“Taking days off helped us, thinking about what we could do to improve as a team,” James said. “We’re going to stay positive and keep this momentum going.”

“The guys responded very well,” Nelson said. “We could have gone down or we could have gone up. The character, strength and morale of our guys and our leaders really showed through tonight. I’m very happy with the result.”

The Mountaineers play at home this Saturday against Howard University (0-10-1). The game is set to kick off at 7 p.m.

Story by: Brent Gilmore, Intern Sports Reporter