Coastal Carolina University (CCU) returned to the CCU Soccer Complex on Oct. 18 fresh off their tie against the then No. 8 team in the country, James Madison University.
The Chants welcomed another National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) top 10 ranked opponent, the Marshall University Thundering Herd.
The Coastal Carolina versus Marshall match ended in a 0-0 tie, marking the second time in back-to-back weeks that the Chants have tied with an NCAA top 10 opponent.
With 523 fans in attendance, Coastal Carolina made three shots on goal while their goalkeeper, Harrison Gough, made nine saves. Marshall ended with a total of 23 shots on goal with their goalkeeper, Aleksa Janjic, saving two shots.
Chanticleer’s head coach, Shaun Docking, boasted about how proud he is of the team staying competitive with top ranked teams.
“I’m incredibly proud of these guys. They’ve got so much fight in them, we’ve really come together really well at this time of year,” Docking said.
The Chants have not been at full strength for most of the year with numerous players out with injuries. Coach Docking was candid on the handling of injuries so far this season.
“It’s just been tough. I mean, we’ve had a ton of injuries. We’re just trying to do the best we can and manage it. The guys tonight were fantastic, terrific,” Docking said.
Heading into the last few games of the season, it seems as though every game matters just a little bit more.
“I think we can continue this momentum. We’ve got a big game coming up Wednesday, we win that, we’re in the Sun Belt [Conference] tournament and then potentially position ourselves for a top two finish,” Docking said.
Following the match with Marshall, Coastal’s record moves to 3-7-2 overall with a 1-2-2 conference record. On the flip side, Marshall will leave Conway with an 8-1-2 overall and a 3-0-1 conference record.
The Chanticleers return home to face Old Dominion University on Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
