BRIDGEPORT, West Virginia - With the intermittent rainy conditions at The Bridge Sports Complex, the Salem men's soccer team had the tough task of hosting regional power Charleston this afternoon. The Tigers gave the Golden Eagles all they could handle, but ended up with a tough 3-1 loss.

To open the contest, Charleston drew first blood with goals in the 25th and 39th minutes. The Tigers kept the pressure on despite the deficit, but were unable to find that scoring chance before the halftime break.

After the intermission, Charleston found their third goal early in the second half. However, with the 3-0 deficit, the Tigers finally found a new offensive gear late in the match. Caleb Christner punched in the lone Salem goal shortly thereafter when he found the back of the net off of a deflected shot by Josue Villegas. That goal gave Salem a jolt of energy to their comeback effort, but the Charleston defense held the rest of the way to a 3-1 defeat for the Tigers. 

Although the loss stings, Salem got some solid individual performances to build on. Christner and Villegas added the only goal and assist for the Tigers. CJ Branch also had a strong day offensively with a pair of shots on goal. In goal, Jason Barrientos recorded 11 saves.

The Tigers continue their home stand this weekend when they host the West Liberty Hilltoppers at The Bridge Sports Complex on Sunday September 28th at 3 PM.