HARRISONBURG, Va. – William & Mary men's soccer showed grit and resilience as it twice rallied from a goal deficit on the way to a 3-2 upset of No. 21-ranked James Madison on Saturday night to close out the Colonial Athletic Association regular season. Redshirt freshman Theo Biddle headed home a corner kick in the 88th minute to propel the Tribe (6-8-2, 4-3-1 CAA) to its first nationally-ranked road win since 2013.
 
After both teams scored twice over a six-minute second half span, W&M found the winner with just over two minutes remaining. After senior Julian Ngoh earned a corner kick, freshman Alfredo Bozalongo sent the set-piece into the penalty area, and Biddle elevated and flicked the ball inside the far post for the winner. It was the Green and Gold rookie's first collegiate goal.
 
After a scoreless first half in which the Tribe was the more dangerous side, the contest turned wild in the 65th minute. The Dukes (10-6-2, 5-2-1 CAA) were awarded a penalty kick at the 64:27 mark and Manuel Ferriol, who ranks among the top five nationally in points and goals, converted to give the home team the lead.
 
Just 16 seconds later, it was W&M's turn after being awarded a penalty kick. Ngoh totally fooled JMU goalkeeper T.J. Busch, converting the spot kick to draw the visitor's even.
 
The Dukes once again took the lead in the 69th minute. After a combination pass on the right side of the area, Petur Thorsteinsson sent a shot on frame that caught a deflection and lifted up and over the top of freshman goalkeeper Kieran Baskett to give JMU a 2-1 lead.
 
Like JMU, the Tribe received the benefit of a deflected goal just two minutes later. Sophomore John Eberle squared a pass to freshman Alexander Levengood just inside the top of the 18, and the Tribe rookie's shot toward the near post hit a defender and bounced into the middle of the goal to tie the contest at two.
 
As a result of the win, the Tribe finished fourth in the CAA standings and will face Northeastern in the quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 8.
 
Quotables
"We are really happy with the performance tonight. The guys were focused, played hard and were sharp overall. We showed a lot of fight as well, after going behind twice. It's a good way to finish the regular season." – W&M Head Coach Chris Norris
 
Starters
W&M - #22 Baskett (GK), #2 Biddle, #3 Bozalongo, #4 Bradley #5 Golan, #7 Smith, #9 Nwegbo, #12 Eberle, #13 Shane, #15 Levengood, #24 Ngoh
 
JMU – #1 Bush (GK), #4 Estermann, #5 Mohr, #8 Jeffris, #10 Ferriol, #12 Anshelm, #13 Jaquier, #19 Judge, #24 Burton, #25 B. Clegg, #29 Casero  
 
Scoring Summary
65' | JMU – Manuel Ferriol (Penalty Kick)
65' | W&M – Julian Ngoh (Penalty Kick)
69' | JMU – Petur Thorsteinsson (Manuel Ferriol/Brennen Burton)
71' | W&M – Alexander Levengood (John Eberle)
88' | W&M – Theo Biddle (Alfredo Bozalongo)
 
Inside the Numbers
- W&M held a convincing 10-5 advantage in shots on the night, including an 8-2 cushion in shots on goal.
- JMU had six corner kicks to three for W&M.
- Senior Julian Ngoh, junior Sam Golan and freshman Alfredo Bozalongo led the Tribe with two shots apiece.
- T.J. Bush made four saves in goal for the Dukes and they added team save as well.
 
Notes
W&M notched its first nationally-ranked win since topping No. 21 Coastal Carolina in 2016 and its first nationally-ranked road victory since winning at No. 1 North Carolina in 2013 … The Green and Gold posted its 11th nationally-ranked win under head coach Chris Norris … The Tribe picked up its first regular-season win at James Madison since 2010 … It marked W&M's sixth win in Harrisonburg … Redshirt freshman Theo Biddle scored his first collegiate goal and his first game-winner … Freshman Alfredo Bozalongo notched his CAA-leading sixth assist on the game-winner … Senior Julian Ngoh tallied his team-leading sixth goal of the season and his first goal on a penalty kick … The Tribe is now 2-for-2 on PKs this season … Freshman Alexander Levengood recorded his fifth goal of the year and his third in CAA play … Sophomore John Eberle picked up his second assist of the season.
 
Up Next
- The Tribe will compete in the CAA Quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 8, as the No. 4 seed.
- As the No. 4 seed, the Tribe head to Wilmington, N.C. for the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds next week and will take on No. 5 seed Northeastern on Friday.
- The winner faces the top seed and regular season champion UNCW on Sunday, Nov. 10.