ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Ursinus College men's soccer team conceded an early goal and was unable to recover in a 3-0 Centennial Conference setback at Muhlenberg.
Kevin Irving scored off a scramble just 5:15 into the match, one of two goals he scored to help Muhlenberg (4-7-2, 1-4-1) remain unbeaten against the Bears since 1984. Shaun Bartholomew's 59th-minute strike doubled the advantage and put a damper on the visitors' comeback chances.
Junior Brandon Lillian received the starting nod in goal for Ursinus (2-10-1, 0-6), finishing with a career-high ten saves. The Mules peppered Lillian's net all afternoon, posting a 24-9 advantage in shots and putting 13 of them on frame.
Lillian produced six first-half saves following Irving's early salvo, keeping Ursinus close until Bartholomew buried a 25-yard shot into the back left corner of the net for a 2-0 lead. Irving completed his brace and tacked on another insurance tally when he dribbled through the defense for a left-footed effort in the 71st minute.
Junior Derek Rudy matched freshmen Alexis Ayala and Noah Kilday with two shots each for Ursinus, while junior John Romero and first-years Adam Azab and R.J. Liszewski chipped in one apiece. Irving, who scored two goals for the second straight outing, led all players with four.
The men's soccer team plays at Haverford on Wednesday, October 18.