LOS ANGELES – For the third time in as many games to open the year, the FGCU men’s soccer team (0-2-1) surrendered a first-half goal and couldn’t fully recover as the Eagles dropped the opening contest of a West Coast trip Friday night at Loyola Marymount (1-2-0) by a 2-1 score.

Facing a second-half deficit for the third time in the season’s opening week, FGCU fought back to tie the contest at 1-1 in the 76th minute when Arion Sobers-Assue (Miami, Fla./DeMatha Catholic HS) created space and found the upper 90 off assists from Preston Kilwien (San Francisco, Calif./College Park HS) and Albert Ruiz (Barcelona, Spain/ CE L’Hospitalet/UE Cornella).

However, LMU responded just more than a minute later with a chip-shot effort from Alvaro Madrigal to go back in front, 2-1. That’s the way the contest would end, despite FGCU putting 10 shots on goal – tied for the third-most in a non-conference game in program history.

“We created some pretty good chances, but like we are defensively right now, we’re not mentally tough enough in the attacking end to finish those opportunities. And we need to put them away because we’re creating a lot of chances,” surmised FGCU head coach Bob Butehorn. “We need to also be more mentally tough in critical moments defensively. We’re giving up too many soft goals right now, but we will figure it out, and once we do we’ll be all right. We have talented players, and we just need to get through this development period early in the season.”

LMU jumped out to an early lead when Sarkis Shaginian tallied his first goal of the year in the 12th minute off a cross from the right side by Matt Gooden. Shaginian one-timed his effort from around the penalty-kick area just inside the left post.

FGCU began to settle in after the goal, and eventually finished the opening 45 minutes with a 13-6 shot advantage, a 5-0 edge in corners and forced LMU keeper Collin Partee to make seven saves.

While the shot propensity wasn’t as high in the second half for FGCU, the Eagles produced several quality chances, but they would have all mostly been for naught without a penalty-saving effort from freshman goalkeeper Jared Brown (Aurora, Ontario/St. Maximilian Kolbe CHS) in the 50th minute. After he was whistled for a foul in the box, Brown made the third of his four stops on the night by diving to his left to keep the Eagles’ deficit at just 1-0.

That deficit was eventually erased on Sobers-Assue’s first goal since 2014. The redshirt sophomore – who missed all of last year recovering from knee surgery – found a bit of space near the top of the box and sent a right-footed effort into the top-right corner of the goal for his second career tally.

But it was short-lived, as the Lions – who fell in double overtime at #6 Syracuse on Sunday, 2-1 – held on despite a point-blank opportunity in the closing seconds by Nicolas Samayoa (Guatemala City, Guatemala/Colegio Valle Verde). Looking for the equalizer, Butehorn pushed everyone forward, and after a ball that was sent in by Brown and headed on to Samayoa, the defender had the ball settle right on to his foot, but his one-timed effort from just feet in front of the goal line was smothered directly into Partee, who ended the night with nine saves.

The Green and Blue finished with an 18-13 shot edge – the third-straight game they’ve out-shot their opponent – and also posted a 7-1 corner advantage for the night. The 10 shots on goal match a 2007 performance versus Georgia State and are only behind an 11-SOG contest later that year against Howard and a 15-SOG game opposite USF in 2010 as the most in non-league single-game program history.

FGCU – which is winless through its initial three games of a season for the first time since 2013 – concludes its West Coast trip just south of LA on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern (1:30 p.m. local) versus UC Irvine (1-2). The Anteaters suffered two big losses last weekend at nationally-ranked Notre Dame and Indiana, but rebounded with a 1-0 win over Grand Canyon Friday night.

The Eagles and UCI have met one time previously, and that came as part of a tournament USF was hosting in 2011. FGCU lost to the then-#5 Anteaters, 2-1. UCI has been ranked nationally in the preseason polls each of the previous two years, but were not this season.

TICKET INFORMATION
Season and single-game tickets are available for the 2016 campaign, with season tickets starting at just $35. More information, including special discounts and group rates, can be accessed by visiting FGCUTickets.com. To purchase tickets, or for additional inquiries, call the FGCU Ticket Office at 239-590-7145 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU men’s soccer program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_MSoccer, Instagram @FGCU_MSoccer, Facebook /FGCUMSoccer and YouTube /FGCUAthletics.

COACH BUTEHORN
FGCU is led by Bob Butehorn, who has coached six professional players and 54 ASUN All-Conference selections since FGCU started its program in 2007. In just five years of postseason eligibility, Butehorn has guided FGCU to three ASUN Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances – in 2011, 2012 and 2014 – and has won an unprecedented six-straight ASUN regular-season championships. His teams have been ranked nationally on several occasions by multiple media outlets. Now in his 14th season as a head coach, Butehorn has a 115-92-26 (.549) overall record, 81-60-22 (.564) mark in his 10th season at FGCU and 48-17-6 (.718) record in ASUN contests.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics’ charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.