EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Lipscomb men’s soccer opened the 2012 campaign in a physical 2-1 loss to Evansville at McCutcheon Stadium in Evansville, Ind.

“I think the guys took a little to get going in the game,” head coach Charles Morrow said. “We came out a little tentative. We just turned the ball over time after time again over the first ten minutes. We just have to do a better job finding a better rhythm straight. I thought when we found a rhythm we were able to do some good things.”

Over the first 30 minutes of the match, both teams played very physically over the middle third of the field to not much avail.

The Aces struck first in the 38^th minute with a scrum in front of the net. Ryan Stallings put a header on the ball landing perfectly on the foot of Alex Kapsalis who tapped it into the net.

The purple and gold got on the scoreboard in 65^th minute. A free kick from 20-yards out was set up for the Bisons allowing the set piece to come through. Luke Gearin’s kick deflected off the Aces wall and into the net, for LU’s first goal of the season and his first goal for Lipscomb.

With the score tied at 1-1 in the 77^th minute, the Aces tacked on the go-ahead goal when Kapsalis found a streaking Nate Opperman who touched the ball under a diving Miguel Hof.

The best chance for the Bisons to tie the game came 88^th minute when Josue Chavez took a shot from 25 yards out that was tapped over the cross bar by Evansville’s goalkeeper.

28 fouls and three cautions marred the match as both teams tried to claim their stake in the game.

In the end, the Aces two goals held on for the win, with both teams having ten shots apiece. The Bisons had three shots on goal to the Aces five. Tyler Burkhardt and Gearin each had two shots for Lipscomb. 

Goalkeeper Miguel Hof, making his collegiate debut, stopped three shots by the Aces with his counterpart Eric Teppen stopping two shots that came his way.  

“I am encouraged by the guy’s effort and commitment to work,” Morrow said. “It is a group that can be very good going forward. With a new system it is taking a little time. Tonight was definitely a step forward from our last outing at Louisville. Just not quite where we needed to be tonight.”

Lipscomb makes their home debut on Sunday, Aug. 26, hosting Eastern Illinois in a 7 p.m. start at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex.