LAKELAND, Fla.— The Montreat men's soccer team closed out its Labor Day weekend trip to Florida on Monday with an out-of-conference clash against the Southeastern University Fire. Despite a surge in offensive pressure during the second half, the Cavaliers couldn't find the back of the net as they fell to 1-2-0 on the season following a 3-0 defeat.
 
Southeastern (1-1-1) set the tone early by forcing Montreat starting goalkeeper Adrian Torres into action 1:46 into the contest. Torres made a pair of saves during the initial 10 minutes of play to maintain a 0-0 scoreline and keep the Cavs on level footing.
 
The hosts broke the scoreless deadlock late in the first half thanks to a 39^th minute tally. That goal enabled the Fire to enter the intermission with a 1-0 edge on the scoreboard.
 
At the break, SEU owned advantages in shots (13-2), shots on goal (5-0) and corner kicks (5-2). Torres totaled four saves through one half.
 
Montreat ratcheted up the offensive pressure in the second half, registering 12 shots overall, five of which landed on target, and three corners; however, the Cavaliers weren't able to beat the Southeastern goalie, who ultimately delivered a shutout performance for the Fire's first win of the season.
 
Two second-half strikes in the 65^th and 74^th minutes aided the hosts in putting the match away for good. In the end, SEU claimed a 3-0 Labor Day victory.
 
Torres finished the day with eight saves, and a trio of Cavs notched three shots each. Both teams concluded the matchup level or nearly even on fouls (14-14) and corner kicks (6-5 SEU). Meanwhile, Southeastern attempted more shots (27-14) and shots on goal (11-5).
 
"We fought very hard today in difficult circumstances," said head coach Michael Bruce. "The guys that played gave everything they had, and we need to carry that attitude across the whole team for our conference opener on Friday. We have a great group of guys and will grow stronger."
 
Montreat remains on the road for its next match this upcoming Friday. The Cavaliers head to Athens, Tenn. for a 2 p.m. Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) kickoff versus Tennessee Wesleyan University.