LAKE WALES, Fla.— The Montreat men's soccer team kicked off its Labor Day weekend trip to Florida Saturday night when it visited the Warner University Royals for a nonconference battle under the lights. While the Cavaliers attempted more shots on the evening, it was the home side who found the back of the net more frequently as the hosts beat the visitors, 3-1. With the defeat, the Cavs dropped to 1-1-0 on the year.
Zeljko Stanojevic forced the initial save of the contest with his shot in the 23
rd minute, but Warner (1-1-2) notched the first goal. The Royals utilized a strike just over 28 minutes into the matchup to seize an early 1-0 edge. Ultimately, the hosts entered halftime with that same one-goal lead.
Both teams attempted four shots through 45 minutes, and Montreat took all three corner kicks.
Frankie Zavala registered one save during the initial frame.
Looking for some breathing room, WU managed to find the game's second goal as well. A 62
nd minute tally doubled the hosts' advantage to 2-0, forcing the Cavaliers to commit more numbers forward.
A late push gave the visitors life when extended pressure resulted in Stanojevic's second goal of the season. With possession in the penalty area, Stanojevic calmly guided a shot past the goalkeeper and a defender, suddenly trimming the deficit to 2-1 with 15:37 remaining; however, that was as close as the Cavs got.
Warner took advantage of a chance in the 84
th minute, restoring its two-goal lead with only 6:30 left. As the clock reached zero, the Royals secured their first win of the season via a 3-1 scoreline.
"Tonight's performance was very disappointing," said head coach
Michael Bruce. "We did not show up in the first half. Although we improved in the second half, it was not enough. We will need to improve our game on Monday if we hope to get a positive result."
The Cavaliers racked up 13 shots, five of which landed on target, and five corner kicks across 90 minutes of action. Meanwhile, WU totaled eight shots overall, four attempts on frame and one corner.
Montreat continues its holiday weekend journey on Monday with another out-of-conference clash, this time at Southeastern University. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. in Lakeland, Fla.
