MILWAUKEE - Steven Enna scored a pair of goals, including one in the 85^th minute, to help Drake University escape with a 3-2 victory over the Milwaukee men's soccer team Tuesday evening at Engelmann Stadium.
 
The Panthers (1-2) overcame an early deficit and did hold a 2-1 advantage, only to see the Bulldogs (2-2) tie the contest in the 66^th minute and go ahead with just minutes to play.
 
Milwaukee's Evan Dujardin almost sent the game to overtime, sending a shot off the crossbar at the 87:46 mark as the Panthers pressed late. The game was the home opener for UWM, played in front of 1,978 fans that came out for the Fall Welcome on the first day of classes.
 
"The guys had nervous energy in the beginning of the game," Milwaukee head coach Kris Kelderman said. "It's our first home game, we have a young group and had a big crowd – a great environment. To go down a goal, the guys could have buckled. But they showed a lot of heart and a lot of fight."
 
Down a goal early, the Panthers responded well. Francesco Saporito started UWM's first strike, carrying the ball from midfield toward the goal. He played give-and-go with Nick Moon down the right side, with Moon serving back in front of goal. Reid Stevenson was there to hammer the ball home and the score was tied, 1-1, at the 24:25 mark.
 
Milwaukee kept up the offensive pressure and it payed off about 10 minutes later. Jonathan Stadler ran down a corner kick that was played back out near midfield, sending the ball back to Saporito on the left wing. Saporito blasted one on goal from distance, getting a little help in front to shield the goalkeeper and find the back of the net for his first goal of the season – and the 2-1 lead – at the 36:32 mark.
 
"We came back, we had a lot of energy and we had a 2-1 lead," Kelderman said. "But, unfortunately, a couple plays in the box on restarts, a couple of head balls. They were just bigger and stronger than us in the box and we have to learn from that."
 
Oliver Haslund took the loss in goal for the Panthers, but did make at least three incredible saves on the night among his six total stops. He made eye-opening saves in the 11^th, 43^rd and 50^th minutes, with the last two keeping UWM ahead at the time.
 
"He made some good saves," Kelderman said. "But at the same time, we had some really good chances offensively as well. And we have to find a way to finish those plays out and get some goals. The nice thing is that we are creating some chances. If we weren't doing that, we'd be in big trouble. We just have to find a way to win a game. The last two have been very similar in the fact that, in pressure moments, we haven't been sharp enough."
 
Saporito nearly had a second tally in the 52^nd on a crack from distance, but a diving save by Drake goalkeeper Darrin Macleod spoiled it, followed quickly by another nice stop on a header by Stephen Andrusko on the same sequence.
 
The Bulldogs took advantage of a pair of resets to go ahead. The first came on a corner kick played back out, with second service to the far post finding the head of James Grunert to make it a new game at 2-2 at the 65:30 mark.
 
The game took an interesting turn, with a second yellow on Andrew Heine forcing Drake to play a man down from the 74^th minute on. Milwaukee had plenty of chances, but could not capitalize. It was the Bulldogs that did, however, with Enna spoiling the evening with a header right on the goal line that decided it.
 
For the game, Milwaukee recorded a 16-to-15 shot advantage, with Drake holding the slim 9-7 edge in shots on target. The visitors also had six of the eight corner kicks and 10 of the 19 fouls. Moon paced the Panther offense with three shots.
 
Up next, the Panthers open Horizon League play Saturday, heading to Chicago to take on the UIC Flames. Game time is set for a 7 p.m. start.