SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The Ursinus College men's soccer team got off to a fast start in its season opener at Susquehanna on Friday, but could not sustain the momentum as the River Hawks rallied to claim a 3-1 non-conference triumph.
Sophomore Colin Klingman and fellow co-captain Derek Rudy combined to give the Bears a lead just over seven minutes in, with Klingman picking up his first career point on the junior's second career goal.
Susquehanna pulled level on a tally by Thomas Burke in the 14th minute, and the game stayed knotted at 1-all until the River Hawks tallied twice in a six-minute span midway through the second stanza. Kyle Trainor put the home side ahead to stay in the 68th minute, and Dakota Dobrovich-Fago provided the insurance tally in the 74th.
The youthful Bears, who brought in 16 new freshmen and do not have a senior on the roster, saw four freshmen earn starts in their debuts as Adam Azab, D.J. Briggs, Braden Burns, and Jacob Helwig were all on the pitch to start the new campaign. Azab led Ursinus with three shots, while Helwig attempted one. Fellow rookies Alexis Ayala, Jake Fernandez, R.J. Liszewski, and Christian Wady also saw action in their first collegiate game.
Junior Brandon Lillian recorded five saves in his fourth career start, while Matt Ellingworth had four on the other side for the River Hawks.
Ursinus held a 3-2 edge in corner kicks, but Susquehanna owned a 14-10 advantage in the shot department.
The men's soccer team continues a three-game road swing to start the season with a non-conference contest at Arcadia on Wednesday, September 6.