BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— Montreat College's men's soccer squad hosted the Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) matchup at Pulliam Stadium Saturday afternoon. While early offense worked for the Cavs, the Bulldogs scored four second-half goals to win the contest, 5-2. With the defeat, the Cavaliers hold a 3-10-1 overall record and a 2-6-1 record in conference play. TWU stands at 6-6-0 overall and 5-3-0 in the AAC.
 
The match began with Montreat taking an early lead. In the 24^th minute, senior Drake Fowler converted a shot to score his second goal of the season. He smashed a loose ball into the left side of the net, putting the hosts ahead. Tennessee Wesleyan then responded in the 33^rd minute to level the score.
 
Just before the break, Predrag Grbovic put the Cavs back on top when he scored from 40 yards out. He sent the ball over the goalkeeper from long range, also marking his second goal of the campaign. The first half concluded with the Cavaliers holding a 2-1 advantage over TWU.
 
After the intermission, Tennessee Wesleyan's pressure resulted in a goal shortly after the restart, leveling the score at 2-2. Montreat struggled to get its offense back in gear. Frankie Zavala made a number of crucial saves to keep the Cavs in contention.
 
Despite the hosts' efforts, including shots on target from Uros Markovic and Alejandro Hernandez, the Bulldogs pulled ahead with a penalty kick in the 76^th minute. Montreat attempted to respond with further offensive pressure, but the visitors extended their advantage with a pair of goals in the final 10 minutes, ending the game at 5-2 in favor of TWU.
 
Grbovic scored one goal while recording four shots, with three of those being on target. Fowler found the net once as well and took four shots. Hernandez and Markovic finished with the other tries on frame for the Cavaliers. From the starting 10 outfield players, all but two were credited with a shot attempt in the event. Zavala made six saves in the game, facing 11 shots overall.
 
As a team, the Cavs had a total of 16 shots with six on target. The Bulldogs took 27 with 11 on frame. Tennessee Wesleyan was rewarded with 15 corner kicks to Montreat's two. Each side was penalized with 12 fouls. The hosts were not caught in an offside position during the 90 minutes, but TWU was called offside five times.
 
In its next game, Montreat will travel to Bluefield, Va., to face Bluefield University on Wednesday, Oct. 15. The match is set for 6 p.m. as the Cavs take on the Rams in another AAC battle.