MATTHEWS, NC (December 11, 2024) - For a third year in a row, the Colorado State University Pueblo men' soccer team will take its talents and will compete at the NCAA Final Four and face University of Charleston on Thursday at 1 p.m. (MT) in a semifinal match at the Sportsplex at Matthews.

After a re-seed of the final teams left in the tournament, CSU Pueblo was given the No. 4 seed and Charleston, the No. 1 seed. The other semifinal has No. 2 seed Lynn facing No. 3 seed McKendree.

The ThunderWolves return to the same venue they played at in 2023 to compete for their first national championship. Last season, CSU Pueblo fell against Franklin Pierce and in 2022, the ThunderWolves lost 2-0 to the Ravens.

After a re-seed of the final teams left in the tournament, CSU Pueblo was given the 4-seed and University 

The ThunderWolves earned their spot as one of the last four teams remaining after beating Fort Lewis last Saturday, 1-0 in the Elite Eight at Art & Lorraine Gonzales Stadium.
 
About the Match
The Oliver Twelvetrees-led ThunderWolves enter the contest with a 17-3-3 record, while the Golden Eagles from Charleston comes in at 21-1-1 overall.

This season, UC won the Mountain East Conference Regular Season as well as the MEC Tournament 3-1 over Concord.
  
Pack Pointers
This week, team captains Shjon Andrews (Gr., Longmont, Colo.) and Caio Oliveira (Sr., Espigao, d'Oeste, Brazil) were rewarded for their magnificent play this season and both earned Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-America status.

Oliveira has 33 points entering the final weekend, 8th most in Division II. His 13 assists is the 4th most in the nation. 

On Tuesday, Andrews was also selected a College Sports Communicators First Team Academic All-American for a second straight season.

Ignatius DeMark (Sr., Phoenix, Ariz.) also sits in the Top 10 in the country and is 10th in assists (11).

As a team, the Pack's shutdown defense ranks 8th in Goal Differential, and the Pack offense ranks 21st in Scoring Offense (2.32 Goals per game). The offense also ranks 6th in corner kicks and averages 6.91 per contest and 9th in goals scored (51).

The Pack have become a pass-first team and as a result, sit sixth in the country.

How to Follow the Pack

Thursday, December 12, 2024: No. 4 seed CSU Pueblo vs. No. 1 seed Charleston 1 p.m. (MT) (STATS/VIDEO)

Twitter (X) - @gothunderwolves / @csupmsoccer

Opponent Capsule

University of Charleston Golden Eagles

Record: 21-1-1

Statistical Leaders:

  Points: 31 – Joao Belmudes 

  Goals: 12 – Belmudes

  Assists: 7 – Three players

  Shots: 58 - Caio Moraes 

  Goalkeeper Saves: 26 – Nicolai Gundersen

Last game played: NCAA Elite Eight, December 7th – Won 2-1 (OT) vs. Felician

The Match-Ups
Thursday will mark the first meeting between the ThunderWolves and Golden Eagles.