WEST LIBERTY, West Virginia - After a big win at Wheeling in there last contest, the Salem men's soccer team returned to the Northern Panhandle on Sunday afternoon for a matchup with Wheeling's crosstown rival West Liberty. Both teams played well, and despite a blustery start to the contest, the game resulted in a 1-1 draw. 

As previously mentioned, the rain was the story of the game early on as the slippery conditions made play difficult. However, midway through the first half, the rain dissipated and the Tigers enjoyed sunny skies the rest of the way. Unfortunately, it would be the Hilltoppers who made the first marks on the scoresheet with a goal in the 29th minute. That scoreline would hold into the halftime break for the Tigers. 

After the intermission, Salem had the tough task of battling to bring the game back level. They did just that in the 54th minute off of the foot of freshman Ricardo Gallego Curto. With the game now at 1-1, both teams kept up the pressure in an attempt to break the deadlock. However, the defenses would prevail on both sides, and the Tigers ended up with a 1-1 draw to add to the 2023 campaign.

On the stats sheet, Ricardo Gallego Curto was the lone Tiger to find the back of the net, but certainly was not the only one with scoring opportunities. Valentin Fritz and Enzo Lira De La Paula each had a shot on goal in the contest. Between the posts for Salem, Samuel Farje-Reyna had a solid day with 5 saves.

The Tigers return home to The Bridge Sports Complex for their next contest against West Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday, September 20th at 8 PM.