WALESKA, Ga.— Needing a result to remain in contention for an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament spot next week, the Montreat men's soccer team traveled to Waleska, Ga. Wednesday night for a showdown with the Reinhardt University Eagles. An early penalty put the Cavaliers behind less than four minutes in, and the visitors were unable to overcome the deficit as they ultimately fell to the Eagles by a 2-0 score. With the defeat, the Cavs dropped to 6-10-1 (5-7-1 AAC) and were eliminated from AAC Tournament contention.
 
Reinhardt (8-4-4, 7-1-4 AAC) applied offensive pressure just moments into the match, forcing Marius Braedstrup-Holm to make a save 56 seconds in. That early pressure eventually paid dividends as the Eagles drew a penalty after only 3:18 had expired on the clock. The hosts capitalized on the opportunity and converted from the penalty spot, grabbing the early 1-0 advantage.
 
Montreat settled into the match shortly after the Reinhardt tally, with Hugo Rodriguez and Ricardo Madan directing headers on frame in the 11^th and 16^th minutes; however, the Eagles' goalkeeper proved up to the challenge and registered saves on both attempts to keep the Cavaliers scoreless. The Cavs ultimately recorded two more shots on target in the half, but all four Montreat strikes were stopped as the visitors entered the break down a goal (1-0).
 
While Reinhardt took three more shots than the Cavaliers through 45 minutes of play (7-4), both sides placed exactly four shots on target. Montreat earned three corner kicks to the Eagles' one prior to the intermission, and Braedstrup-Holm finished the initial half with three saves.
 
Trailing by a goal, the Cavs nearly equalized late in the 59^th minute. Emmanuel Ohana whipped a shot into the box that forced another Reinhardt save, and Guido Glorioso's follow-up blast sailed just above the crossbar out of play. From there, the Eagles started to regain control of the match.
 
Braedstrup-Holm kept the deficit at 1-0 thanks to a pair of saves in the 63^rd minute, but an extended spell of possession gave the Eagles another crack at goal. Less than six minutes later, RU turned that possession into another score, doubling their lead out to 2-0 with only 21:43 left in regulation.
 
A right-footed Araujo strike from the left corner of the 18-yard box proved to be Montreat's only other shot on target Wednesday night, as the RU defense and goalkeeping remained steady in moments of pressure to preserve the shutout and defeat the Cavaliers, 2-0.
 
"Tonight's performance did not match the result," said head coach Michael Bruce. "The guys played extremely well, and on another night, they could've scored a couple of goals. I am proud of the team this season, and I am looking forward to building into next season. We are also looking to finish the regular season in a positive way this Saturday."
 
Reinhardt outshot the Cavs in the second half, 8-3, which moved their match advantage up to 15-7. Nine of the Eagles' shots landed on target, while six of Montreat's strikes were placed on frame. Meanwhile, Breadstrup-Holm stopped seven of Reinhardt's nine shots on goal. The hosts also ended the night with a 4-3 corner-kick edge.
 
The Montreat men's soccer team concludes its season this Saturday with a non-conference matchup versus Carolina University. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m. in Black Mountain, N.C.