BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— The Montreat College men's soccer team suffered a 4-0 defeat versus the Southeastern University Fire Monday afternoon in the first matchup at Pulliam Stadium between the two sides since 2019. With the loss, the Cavaliers fell to 0-2-0 on the season, while SEU improved to 2-0-0.
 
The first half featured early activity from Montreat goalkeeper Adrian Torres, who made several quick saves, including stopping shots in the seventh and ninth minutes. Despite his efforts, Southeastern eventually managed to break through, scoring the first goal of the match in the ninth minute, followed by a second goal in the 28^th minute. The Cavs were halted by a series of fouls and two offside calls, which disrupted their attempts to build momentum and left them trailing 2-0 at the end of the initial half.
 
The second period began with Emilio Ruiz attempting an early shot, though it was blocked by a Southeastern defender. Despite a series of additional defensive attempts, including saves by Torres and Caden Vlazny late in the frame, the Fire scored in the 68^th minute before converting a penalty kick in the 79^th minute to double their edge. Daniel Chavarria managed a header on goal in the 90^th minute, but it was ultimately saved, concluding the match with a 4-0 final score in favor of SEU.
 
"Today was very disappointing, especially in the first half," said head coach Michael Bruce. "We gave away four soft goals, and we hope to get things corrected before our next match. If we can compete from the start like we did in the second half, then we will be able to have a very good season. We're looking forward to hitting the road on Friday and putting in a positive performance."
 
Southeastern registered two goals in each half while totaling 26 shots, 12 of which landed on target. On the other side, the Cavaliers managed three shots, one on goal, while accumulating 20 fouls.
 
Torres made seven saves in net for the Cavs. Vlazny also contributed in goal, adding one save to his tally. Chavarria was the only outfield player to register a shot on frame, making the most of his single attempt.
 
In its next contest on Aug. 29, the Montreat College men's soccer team travels to Georgetown, Ky., to face the Georgetown College Tigers. The match is currently slated to start at 1 p.m.